Reflecting and Talking within a

Learning Community

As teachers reflect about students’ learning and discuss those

reflections in collaborative groups, they create a learning community.

Teachers Create Instructional Possiblities

By Changing Their Teaching Techniques, Talk, Support, and

CreatingStudent Self-Assessments

Teaching Techniques

We have always believed that changing an instructional technique is the most important action for student learning to occur.

However, many times teachers use multiple techniques together.

Recent research has focused on other aspects that teachers can change.

Supporting Students

Teachers create successful classrooms that motivate and support students in ways that cannot be specified by any one technique or program.

(Pressley, 2003; Pressley, Allington, Wharton-McDonald, Block, & Morrow, 2001; Wharton-McDonald, Pressley, & Hampton, 1998; Taylor, Pearson, Peterson, & Rodriquez, 2003).

Accomplished Teachers

Research on accomplished teachers indicates they provide appropriate instruction and intensify instructional adjustments for struggling readers while teaching all the students in the classroom.

(Taylor, B., Pearson, P. D., Peterson, D. S. & Rodriquez, M. C et al., 2003) --- Albert J. Harris Award Winning Article

Instructional Adjustments

A Primer forThoughtful Talk,

Student Literacy Support, and Student Self-Assessments

Thoughtful Talk

At every point of instruction, talk improves students’ thinking because

students are more engaged.

Engaged Students Become Readers

Talking with students leads to engaged readers and engaged readers develop reading proficiency more than disengaged readers.

(Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997)

Talk Promotes Engagement

Can you tell me more about the characters?

Have you ever had that kind of experience?

Can you point out something that makes you think that?

Does anyone want to say something more?

(CIERA School Change project)

Everyone Can Engage in Talk

I wonder. . . .

What makes you think that?

Are there any other ways to think about that?

That’s a very interesting way to think about that. . .

(Johnston, 2003. Choice Words)

Literacy Support

“Showing the How”Supporting Attempts

“Showing the How”

Showing the how or the steps of thinking is critical to understand the reading and writing process.

Saying “I think ” releases students from the necessity of having to think in the exact same way that you do.

“I do it this way” implies that others can do it a different way.

Getting Students’ to Talkabout their Literacy

How are you planning to go about this?

How did you figure that out?

What information are you using to figure that out?

Do you need to think that over?

Supporting Attempts

Researchers have found that effective teachers provide more scaffolding (supporting attempts) than less effective teachers do.

(Taylor, et al and Pressley, et al, 2003; 2001)

Supporting Attempts

Let’s see if I got this right. . .

How else . . . ?

That’s like. . .

I noticed that the idea jogged your mind—What were you thinking?

StudentSelf-Assessment

Self-assessment helps readers evaluate their own literacy

development.

Pressley et al, (2001) found that effective teachers cultivated student self-assessment through scaffolding and by providing useful feedback to students as they tried to apply strategies.

Talk to Encourage Student Self-Assessment

How did it go?

What went well?

Any other ways you could have figured it out?

Did anything surprise you?

Reach Beyond the Horizon

To Create Multiple Pathways that Transform

Reading, Writing, and

Conversation