Archive for March, 2009
This post is part of the Share a Story – Shape a Future Blog Tour for Literacy. Today’s focus is “Selecting Reading Material.” The complete schedule for the week-long blog tour can be found here.
Mary Lee Hahn has been teaching fourth and fifth graders for over twenty years. In her book, Reconsidering Read-Aloud, she shows teachers how to identify and capitalize on those teachable moments that surround read-aloud time in the classroom. In today’s post she shares her favorite nonfiction works for read-aloud. You can find more topics on today’s host blog, The Reading Zone.
Using Non-Fiction for Real-Aloud
In 2002, Stenhouse published my book, Reconsidering Read-Aloud. I’m proud to say that in the seven years since then, I haven’t stopped reconsidering the content or the function of read aloud as a part of the balanced literacy approach I take in my classroom.
Three of the biggest changes in my read aloud over the past seven years are:
- I read much more nonfiction aloud.
- I read aloud more frequently during the day now, and often for shorter periods of time.
- I don’t finish every book from which I read aloud — sometimes my read aloud is a preview or a “book hook.”
Here are some of the reasons I read aloud nonfiction:
I read aloud nonfiction to teach or review or reinforce content.
When we were studying weather, I read aloud THE SNOW SHOW: WITH CHEF KELVIN by Carolyn Fisher. It was a fun way to review the concepts of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
I read aloud nonfiction to introduce or review the structures of nonfiction text.
The student population of my school is very diverse. I read ONE WORLD, MANY RELIGIONS by Mary Pope Osborne to promote discussions about our similarities and differences, but we wound up noticing the way each section was organized, the way the chapter and topic headings alerted us to get ready for new information, and the way a topic sentence in a paragraph promoted accurate predictions about the information that followed.
I read aloud nonfiction to model thinking strategies.
I didn’t read aloud all of WATER HOLE (24 HOURS) by Zahavit Shalev (DK), but I wanted my students to know how to make sense of all of the information that’s presented on each page. As I read aloud the first couple of pages, I talked about how my eye was moving across each page. I flipped back and forth to show them some of the features that mark time on each page. I asked questions, made connections, and ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the cute baby elephants (and at the recycling process that takes care of the massive amounts of elephant dung that the herd leaves behind!).
I read aloud nonfiction to tempt my students to read it more often.
All I would have had to do to sell THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: JUNIOR EDITION by David Borgenicht and Robin Epstein would have been to read aloud a few of the topics in the table of contents (How to Soothe a Peeved Parental Unit, How to Survive Outdoor Chores, How to Deal with Poo on Your Shoe). I did that, but then I read just one complete section: How to Survive Farting in Public. The book hasn’t been back on the shelf since.
In another example, I tempted my students by reading one entry in HOW BIG IS IT? by Ben Hillman and they went on to read every entry in all of his books in the How Big/Strong/Fast Is It series.
I read aloud nonfiction that doesn’t look or act like nonfiction to challenge my students’ thinking about genre.
WHY? by Lila Prap. Are we supposed to take this book seriously and learn about animals, or is it a joke book, or a book to challenge us to think more creatively? (or all of the above?)
TALKIN’ ABOUT BESSIE by Nikki Grimes. Is this a biography? But it’s written in poems! And the poems are all from different points of view!
And finally, most of all, I read aloud nonfiction for the sheer enjoyment of it — for the talk we have — for the connections and questions and WOW moments that come when young people learn about the way their world works, about the people who have made their world what it is, and about their place in our amazing world.
March 10th, 2009
Rick Wormeli’s book, Day One and Beyond, is a sort of survival guide for middle-level teachers. He tackles all the nitty-gritty practical issues that all teachers face: how set up a grade book, what to do if there is only one computer in a classroom, and how to get students’ attention. In this week’s Quick Tip, Rick offers some advice on creating bulletin boards that not only decorate the classroom, but also engage students.
The Disney Company has two requirements for all rides at its amusement parks: they must be a good show and tell a good story. People will come if you have both. It’s the same for our classroom walls. The “good show” part refers to the attractiveness of the bulletin board. Is our bulletin board enticing? Do folks want to be near it? Does the bulletin board draw their eyes? Does it create uriosity? Those of you blessed with a gene for graphic art design will find this sort of thing easy to achieve. The rest of us mild-mannered, Clark-Kent, stick-figure artists have to work at it.
A few suggestions: Have more than one color as your background. I often run out of fadeless or mural paper and have left only scraps. Arranging these in a patchwork mosaic, cutting edges so there are soft curves or harsh, jagged edges, makes for a great background. So does a whole background of wrapping paper—as long as it’s not too “busy.” Consider going 3-D with your bulletin boards—have objects, labels, or important concepts jut out from the bulletin board. Velcro works well for this. You can also hang items from the ceiling just in front of the board, or build mini shelves into the bulletin board to hold display items. Attach small tape or CD players to bulletin boards to offer an auditory component to the visual experience. I’ve used recordings of famous speeches, sections of text, poetry, radio dramas, definitions, debates, music, stories, and “What to Notice” scripts over the years.
The “good story” aspect is expressed in many different ways. This is your bulletin board’s content. One of the most compelling elements for young adolescents is seeing their own names, their classmates’ names, or their own culture on the bulletin board. If possible, create interest by using the students’ names, their work, and/or their community in whatever’s being presented—you’ll get crowds. For example, when presenting grammatical concepts, use sample sentences about students or the local sports team. When presenting the proper diet and exercise program for good health, display the typical daily menu of one of your students (with permission, of course) along with his or her picture and magazine cutouts of sample foods from the menu. When presenting math concepts, incorporate elements from a currently hot movie: “Check Out the Endeavour’s Trajectory and Rate of Descent in Ben Affleck’s Armageddon III.” When presenting something about the Great Depression, grab students’ attention with phrases from television commercials or cultural icons: “Wuzzup?! I’ll tell you wuzzup: Fear and Financial Ruin!” or “Scrounging for ketchup and handouts at McDonald’s?”
The best bulletin boards cause observers to think about the topics presented: “How did Pythagoras get his hypotenuse?” “What would happen if you traveled back in time and caused the death of your grandfather before he ever met your grandmother?” “Is that any way to treat a maggot?” “Do warriors cry?” (This was a topic question for our study of the novel Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals.) According to Socrates, we have to create a sense of wonder before any thinking occurs. We can create wonder and offer substance with bulletin boards.
Beth Huddleston offers advice for new middle school teachers: Instructional bulletin boards should emphasize only one to three points. Color, simplicity, and something that connects to the world
of the middle schooler are also important for getting their attention. I have used pictures of students in our classroom or a three dimensional of Harry Potter on a broom. I find that students love to create the bulletin boards themselves. They also like to see their work displayed. Two rules for myself: (1) When students are creating a board, let them present a plan first and offer guidance in a positive way; (2) Always receive permission from a student to display her or his work or picture. Self-concept is a major point with this age.
As much fun and substance as these bulletin boards might offer, it’s important to take them down and replace them with fresh ones periodically. Bulletin boards that are up for more than a month lose their impact—they blend into the general clutter of a room and no one references them.
Their staleness permeates the room, too, making everything a bit less compelling, even your dynamic instruction. Don’t waste something so powerful; keep those boards changing. If you’re too busy to design and change them, ask your students to take responsibility for them. What they do to
create an interesting and accurate bulletin board on a given topic will teach them more about that topic than a lot of other activities would. An added benefit—they have ownership. They’ll give the bulletin board more attention while it’s on display.
One last idea: Bulletin boards don’t have to be on your classroom walls. How about on your ceiling? I’m serious—we’re talking total immersion into our subjects. When students get bored, lean back, and look away from you and to the ceiling, they’ll find themselves surrounded by the concepts.
How about having them taped out on the classroom floor? How about bulletin boards in hallways, in the library, and in the cafeteria? We’re limited only by our imaginations.
March 10th, 2009
Today’s poetry selection once again comes from Bill Varner.
This morning as I put the kids on the bus a large bulldozer came and piled the snow on my lawn, clearing out the drains. My son loves to play on these yearly foothills of snow, and to go sledding at our local sledding area. Here then, a poem from Sarah Orne Jewett, who lived in my town of South Berwick, Maine, over a hundred years ago.
A Country Boy in Winter
by Sarah Orne Jewett
The wind may blow the snow about,
For all I care, says Jack,
And I don’t mind how cold it grows,
For then the ice won’t crack.
Old folks may shiver all day long,
But I shall never freeze;
What cares a jolly boy like me
For winter days like these?
Far down the long snow-covered hills
It is such fun to coast,
So clear the road! the fastest sled
There is in school I boast.
The paint is pretty well worn off,
But then I take the lead;
A dandy sled’s a loiterer,
And I go in for speed.
When I go home at supper-time,
Ki! but my cheeks are red!
They burn and sting like anything;
I’m cross until I’m fed.
You ought to see the biscuit go,
I am so hungry then;
And old Aunt Polly says that boys
Eat twice as much as men.
There’s always something I can do
To pass the time away;
The dark comes quick in winter-time—
A short and stormy day
And when I give my mind to it,
It’s just as father says,
I almost do a man’s work now,
And help him many ways.
I shall be glad when I grow up
And get all through with school,
I’ll show them by-and-by that I
Was not meant for a fool.
I’ll take the crops off this old farm,
I’ll do the best I can.
A jolly boy like me won’t be
A dolt when he’s a man.
I like to hear the old horse neigh
Just as I come in sight,
The oxen poke me with their horns
To get their hay at night.
Somehow the creatures seem like friends,
And like to see me come.
Some fellows talk about New York,
But I shall stay at home.
March 6th, 2009
Stenhouse will be participating in an exciting blog tour event next week. Share a Story – Shape a Future is a blog event for literacy. Throughout the week, blogging librarians, teachers, parents, authors, illustrators and people passionate about literacy will offer ideas on ways to promote reading and books. You won’t find statistics, academic analysis, or judgments that tell you why you should read. Instead, bloggers will share ideas about ways to engage kids as readers.
The tour starts Monday, March 9. You can find the full schedule here. Mary Lee Hahn, author of Reconsidering Read-Aloud will discuss using nonfiction read-alouds in her post March 10, right here on The Stenhouse Blog. Aimee Buckner, author of Notebook Connections, will be here March 11 to talk about how parents can talk to their kids about books.
Check out these and other exciting posts and share your thoughts and comments.
March 5th, 2009
If you are already using this micro-blogging service, search for us under “Stenhouse Publishers” and follow our “tweet.” If you have no idea what we are talking about, go to www.twitter.com and read about this great service that allows you to let the world know what you are doing in short, succinct headlines.
Stenhouse will be posting its latest blog headlines and alerts when a new book becomes available. So become our follower on Twitter!
March 4th, 2009
In the final chapter of their book, Teaching for Deep Comprehension, Linda Dorn and Carla Soffos focus on mini-lessons. They discuss the drawbacks of standardized, scripted lessons some schools use and some professional development materials provide. Instead, Linda and Carla provide a framework for a successful mini-lesson in this chapter, leaving it up to teachers to provide their own language to engage their students.
The Framework of a Mini-Lesson
The success of a mini-lesson is grounded in the teacher’s knowledge of the reading process as it relates to the students’ ability to apply strategic behaviors for comprehending the author’s message. The purpose of a mini-lesson is to enable students to accomplish a particular goal with assistance from the teacher. The teacher closely observes the group, makes mental notes of students who need extra help, and plans for ways to scaffold these students in small groups or individual conferences
The first step in conducting a reading workshop is to introduce a mini-lesson. The teacher uses books from the classroom library to demonstrate how authors craft their texts to support the reader’s comprehension. Prior to any mini-lesson, the students should have heard the book during read-aloud time; this previous experience with the book will give them a meaningful context for studying the strategy that will be introduced. Teachers should use a variety of texts in mini-lessons so that students can learn how to apply strategies for different types of texts. The teacher gathers all the students in a group and presents a brief and explicit teaching demonstration, usually making use of good literature, literature, which provides the basis for thinking out loud and demonstrating the strategy being taught. Typically, mini-lessons are approximately fifteen minutes long; longer mini-lessons run the risk of degenerating into a focus on items instead of a strategic process for problem solving. A mini-lesson should leave memorable traces in the minds of the students, enabling them to recall the important points of the lesson with ease. The mini-lesson follows a pattern within the workshop format. The workshop begins in a small group with the mini-lesson, proceeds to independent practice, and ends with a time for sharing.
This framework is compatible with a gradual release model, which begins with a high degree of teacher support and ends with a high degree of student independence.
Step 1: Review anchor chart of comprehension strategies.
The workshop mini-lesson begins with a review of comprehension strategies from the anchor chart. As comprehension strategies are introduced and discussed, they are added to the anchor chart. This part of the workshop generally takes two or three minutes.
Step 2: Model the process.
The second step of the mini-lesson is to model the comprehension strategy being introduced. To do this, the teacher uses a think-aloud process with a mentor book—an appropriate text, generally from a previous read-aloud, that will help students notice and apply a particular comprehending behavior. The teacher preselects a particular segment from the mentor text to use as the think-aloud model, then reads the text aloud in class, stopping at three or four strategic points to describe his or her thought processes. At appropriate places, the teacher might solicit brief comments from the class, maintaining the focus on the strategy at all times. This step generally lasts eight to ten minutes.
Step 3: Provide guided practice.
The third step is to have the students apply the strategy with teacher guidance. Without guided practice, students might find the model useless; in any case, it would be quickly forgotten. Guided practice is the step that makes the model meaningful and enables students to see the connection to
their own learning. This step generally takes about ten minutes.
Step 4: Provide independent practice.
Next, the class moves beyond the mini-lesson to independent practice. Students must have opportunities to transfer their knowledge to different problem solving situations; otherwise, they become dependent on a specific context for activating a strategy. Although guided practice and independent practice are complementary processes, they involve different degrees of processing power. During guided practice, students apply a specific strategy with the goal of testing it in context; during independent practice, students must apply the single strategy in concert with other strategies, thus promoting deeper comprehension.
Step 5: Sharing.
The fifth step, sharing, occurs at the end of the reading workshop. Allowing a time for sharing serves two purposes: (1) it gives students a chance to share their comprehending processes with the class, and (2) it allows the teacher to assess the students’ learning. This part of the reading workshop generally lasts about ten minutes.
March 3rd, 2009
Next Posts
This post is part of the Share a Story – Shape a Future Blog Tour for Literacy. Today’s focus is “Selecting Reading Material.” The complete schedule for the week-long blog tour can be found here.
When we were studying weather, I read aloud THE SNOW SHOW: WITH CHEF KELVIN by Carolyn Fisher. It was a fun way to review the concepts of evaporation, condensation and precipitation.
The student population of my school is very diverse. I read ONE WORLD, MANY RELIGIONS by Mary Pope Osborne to promote discussions about our similarities and differences, but we wound up noticing the way each section was organized, the way the chapter and topic headings alerted us to get ready for new information, and the way a topic sentence in a paragraph promoted accurate predictions about the information that followed.
I didn’t read aloud all of WATER HOLE (24 HOURS) by Zahavit Shalev (DK), but I wanted my students to know how to make sense of all of the information that’s presented on each page. As I read aloud the first couple of pages, I talked about how my eye was moving across each page. I flipped back and forth to show them some of the features that mark time on each page. I asked questions, made connections, and ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the cute baby elephants (and at the recycling process that takes care of the massive amounts of elephant dung that the herd leaves behind!).
All I would have had to do to sell THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO SURVIVAL HANDBOOK: JUNIOR EDITION by David Borgenicht and Robin Epstein would have been to read aloud a few of the topics in the table of contents (How to Soothe a Peeved Parental Unit, How to Survive Outdoor Chores, How to Deal with Poo on Your Shoe). I did that, but then I read just one complete section: How to Survive Farting in Public. The book hasn’t been back on the shelf since.
WHY? by Lila Prap. Are we supposed to take this book seriously and learn about animals, or is it a joke book, or a book to challenge us to think more creatively? (or all of the above?)
TALKIN’ ABOUT BESSIE by Nikki Grimes. Is this a biography? But it’s written in poems! And the poems are all from different points of view!