TEAM REFLECTION MEETINGS FOR MAKING …...team members, including time, location, and materials required. At each team meeting, all members will need to bring: • Teacher Manual(s)

Making Meaning® Planning Tool, Grade 4 © Center for the Collaborative Classroom 1

TEAM REFLECTION MEETINGS FOR MAKING MEANING CONTENTSFACILITATOR NOTES ...............................................................................................2

UNIT 1 ........................................................................................................................5

UNIT 2 .......................................................................................................................8

UNIT 3 .......................................................................................................................12

UNIT 4 .......................................................................................................................16

UNIT 5 .......................................................................................................................20

UNIT 6 .......................................................................................................................24

UNIT 7 .......................................................................................................................28

UNIT 8 .......................................................................................................................32

UNIT 9 .......................................................................................................................36

G R A D E 4P L A N N I N G T O O L

THIRD EDITION


Facilitator NotesThese tools are a menu of options for encouraging collaboration and professional growth. These sessions can be facilitated by a teacher, literacy leader, or administrator. Select which sessions you will facilitate based on the needs of your adult learning community. Consider how the sessions might support current structures for collaboration, such as professional learning community (PLC) or grade-level meetings, and whether you might establish new professional learning sessions, such as a monthly planning meeting. The following sessions support preparation for the beginning of a unit, self-reflection during the unit, and debriefing at the end of the unit. The sessions can be held separately or in conjunction with one another.

Unit Planning Sessions (30–40 minutes)Facilitate these sessions prior to starting a new unit. The Unit Planning Sessions give teachers an opportunity to preview and prepare for the upcoming unit. The Do Ahead activities and Team Meeting Discussion Questions guide professional learning as teachers discuss, read pertinent information, and view videos that support instruction and facilitation of student learning. Teachers also have an opportunity to anticipate student moves and consider which aspects of the instruction will support student success, as well as plan for extensions and Writing About Reading activities.

Do Ahead ActivitiesSend the Do Ahead activities to the participants prior to facilitating the team meetings. It provides a planning process and scaffold that will support teachers with instructional planning throughout the year. Additionally, this pre-work will prepare teachers to engage in thoughtful discussion as they plan for upcoming instruction during the Unit Planning Sessions. Alternatively, this section—or pieces of this section—can be completed collaboratively during an extended team meeting or PLC time. If sufficient time is available, consider engaging in the Do Ahead activities as a team and use the planning considerations as guiding questions for the team discussion.

Team Meeting Discussion QuestionsPreview these questions prior to facilitating the session. Choose which questions will support teachers as they prepare for upcoming instruction. Consider how you will facilitate discussion. When might you use:

• “Turn to Your Partner”?

• “Think, Pair, Share”?


• “Think, Pair, Write”?

• Whole-group discussion?

For more information, see “Discussion Facilitation Techniques” on the next page.

Self-reflection QuestionsSelf-reflection questions are designed to support instruction and facilitation within each unit. Facilitators might pose these questions during PLC meetings, or you might select a few questions to include in a weekly check-in e-mail. Additionally, facilitators might share these questions just prior to the End-of-unit Reflection Session as teachers prepare to attend the meeting.

End-of-unit Reflection Sessions (60–90 minutes)Facilitate these sessions after teachers have completed a unit. Discussion Questions are designed to facilitate teacher’s thinking and collaboration as they consider their instruction, student growth, and implications for subsequent instruction. Choose which questions will support teachers’ implementation and professional growth. Consider how you will facilitate the discussion. When might you use:

• “Turn to Your Partner”?

• “Think, Pair, Share”?

• “Think, Pair, Write”?

• Whole-group discussion?

For more information, see “Discussion Facilitation Techniques” below.

Discussion Facilitation Techniques

USE WAIT-TIME

When asking a question, give participants 5–10 seconds to think before asking someone to respond. Wait patiently without rephrasing your question.

USE COOPERATIVE STRUCTURES

Use structures such as “Turn to Your Partner” and “Think, Pair, Share” to get everyone involved in the discussion. Cooperative structures are especially powerful when only a few voices are being heard in a discussion, when many people want to talk at once, when people are reluctant to share, or when the subject matter is challenging.


USE OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS AND PROBES

Encourage discussion, clarify understanding, and promote reflection by using open-ended questions that encourage multiple responses (not just “yes” or “no” answers). Facilitating discussions in this way requires that you actively listen and make minute-by-minute decisions about which comments to probe and which not to probe. Keep the purpose of the discussion clearly in mind, and choose to probe those comments that will lead to further learning by all. Some examples of probes include:

• What would you like to add to what [ ] said?

• What questions would you like to ask [ ]?

• Why do you think so?

• Please say more about that.

• What is an example of that?

Materials for Each SessionPrior to each meeting, consider how you will communicate session information to your team members, including time, location, and materials required. At each team meeting, all members will need to bring:

• Teacher Manual(s)

• Assessment Resource Book

• Completed “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets

• Student Response Books (if applicable)

• Reading Assessment Preparation Guide

• There are references to these materials throughout the session descriptions that follow. Unless otherwise indicated, all page numbers refer to the Teacher’s Manual.


UNIT 1: THE READING COMMUNITY FICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students begin the important work of building their reading community. They hear and talk about stories and discuss a video presentation of one of the stories. They also begin Individualized Daily Reading (IDR), learn how to select books at their independent reading levels, self-monitor their reading comprehension, and use a reading log. Socially, they learn the procedures for gathering for a read-aloud, “Turn to Your Partner,” “Think, Pair, Share,” and IDR. As they build the reading community, they practice listening to the thinking of others, sharing their own thinking, and working in a responsible way.

Unit Planning Session

DO AHEAD

• Read the Unit 1 overview on page 1 and underline key words or phrases.

Q What are your goals for students during this unit?

• Review the Unit 1 Resources on page 2.

Q How will these support your instruction?

• Read the Unit Overview chart on page 3. Notice how the unit is designed to build learning over time.

Q What are students expected to do by the end of the unit? What learning is occurring each day so that students will be ready for end-of-unit expectations? How will this tool support your planning?

• Skim and scan Unit 1, taking note of the Comprehension and Social Development Focus sections listed on each Week Overview, as well as the Class Assessment Notes to inform your instruction.

• Browse the margins and flag any Teacher, Vocabulary, and ELL Notes; Technology Tips; or Facilitation Tips that will support your work.

• Review the IDR Mini-lessons, Technology Extensions, and Writing About Reading activities (see page 17).

Q Which of these might your students need? When you will include this instruction.

• Review the Do Ahead section on each Week Overview.

• Read “About Individualized Daily Reading in Fourth Grade” on page 14.

Q What are the implications of this? What will you want to keep in mind as you teach this unit?


TEAM MEETING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Q Where might our students excel in this unit? Where might they struggle? How will we know?

Q Which tools in the Teacher’s Manual will support students and our instruction? (Teacher Note, page 15)

Q How will we prepare for daily lessons so that our instruction is paced appropriately and fluently? (See “Preparing the Daily Lessons” on pages xxx–xxxii for more information.)

Q How might we randomly establish partners? (See Do Ahead on page 6.)

Q How will we introduce students to our classroom libraries to prepare for IDR? What procedures will we use for book selection? (See Do Ahead on page 6.)

Q What materials do we need to gather ahead of time?

Self-reflection QuestionsQ Have I established a comfortable and convenient meeting place for read-alouds? What are the

procedures and expectations for students during this time? (Teacher Note, page 7)

Q Am I supporting students in building a community of readers where everyone feels safe, welcome, and respected?

Q Am I using the procedure outlined on page 9 to address vocabulary smoothly, without interrupting the reading?

Q Am I reflecting daily on students’ social development by describing behavior generally as well as focusing on appropriate behavior? (Teacher Note, page 8)

Q Am I preparing my read-aloud text with self-stick notes, identifying stops for questions and vocabulary? (Teacher Note, page 15)

Q Am I validating student responses by referring back to the text and rereading? (Step 3, page 29)

Q Am I encouraging the students to turn and look at one another when speaking? (Facilitation Tip, page 9)

Q Am I using a visual signal that allows students to finish what they are saying before turning back to face me? (Teacher Note, page 11)

Q Am I adapting lessons for English Language Learners by using the ELL Notes when appropriate? (ELL Notes, pages 15 and 21)

Q Am I establishing clear expectations and procedures for how students will behave responsibly during IDR? Am I gradually adding time for IDR to build stamina up to 30 minutes by Unit 5?

Q Am I helping students select appropriate leveled books for IDR? (Teacher Note, page 21)

Q Am I encouraging my students to self-monitor using the “Thinking About My Reading” chart? (Teacher Note, page 33)

Q Am I providing time on a regular basis for students to record and share their thinking in their reading logs? (Teacher Note, page 35)


End-of-unit Reflection Session


Q In what ways are students participating in the reading community?

• Are the students able to sit quietly and listen to the story?

• Are the students contributing ideas to the discussion?

• Are the students referring back to the text to support their thinking?

Q What do you notice about students’ conversations around text?

• Are the students taking turns sharing ideas?

• Are the students’ taking time to think before talking with their partner?

Q What do you notice about partner work? (Teacher Note, page 12)

• In what ways are students beginning to demonstrate social and emotional skills during their partner work? (Teacher Note, page 10 and ELL Note, page 30)

Q During whole-group conversations, are students turning to look at those who are speaking? (Facilitation Tip, page 34) What effect has this had on your students’ engagement in class discussions?

Q What are you noticing about your readers during IDR?

• Are they building stamina to read for longer periods of time?

• Are they able to share what they read about with classmates?

• How are you supporting students during IDR?

Q In what ways have you tried to incorporate the Extensions and Technology Extensions? How have students responded?

THINGS TO CONSIDER/REMEMBER WHEN TEACHING THIS UNIT AGAIN NEXT YEAR

Ask participants the question that follows and have them jot their thinking on a self-stick note and share.

Q What ideas or strategies do you want to remember when you teach this unit again?

Collect and compile this information to support next year’s implementation.


UNIT 2: USING TEXT FEATURES EXPOSITORY NONFICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students use text features to better understand information in expository texts. They hear and read nonfiction texts, explore text features, compare a first- and secondhand account of an event, and write in their reading journals. During IDR, the students practice self-monitoring their reading comprehension and begin to confer with the teacher individually about their reading lives and about the nonfiction books they are reading. Socially, they learn the procedure for “Think, Pair, Write” and develop the skill of explaining their thinking. They also analyze the effect of their behavior on others and on the group work, and they work in a responsible way.


DO AHEAD



• Review the Unit 2 Resources on pages 38–39.


• Review the Development Across the Grades chart on page 40.

Q What do you notice? What are the implications of this for your readers?



• Skim and scan Unit 2, taking note of the Comprehension and Social Development Focus sections listed on each Week Overview, the IDR Conference Notes, and the questions in the Class Assessment Notes.


• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, IDR Mini-lessons, and Writing About Reading activities.




• Read “About Expository Text” on page 45 and “About IDR Conferences” on page 49.

Q What will be important to keep in mind as you teach this unit?

• Review the “Resource Sheet for IDR Conferences” on pages 11–15 of the Assessment Resource Book.

Q How will you use this tool to support your conferences this unit?

• Review the Strategy Assessment and IDR Assessment rubrics on pages 22–23 of the Assessment Resource Book. Keep these reading behaviors in mind as you move through this unit.



Q How might we randomly establish new partners? (Teacher Note, page 45)

Q Which tools in the Teacher’s Manual will support students and our instruction? (Teacher Notes, pages 51 and 75)

Q How will we continue to support students during IDR?


NOTERemind teachers to assess the students’ social skills development while teaching Unit 2 using the “Social Skills Assessment Record” sheet (SS1). They will reassess social skills development in Units 5 and 9.

Self-reflection QuestionsQ Am I preparing my read-aloud text with self-stick notes, identifying stops for questions and

vocabulary?

Q Am I supporting English Language Learners with the ELL Notes in the margins?

Q Am I attending to the information in the margins to support my planning and instruction for all students?

Q Am I asking open-ended questions and using wait-time to deepen student thinking and broaden participation? (Facilitation Tip, page 46)

Q Am I asking follow-up questions to probe for deeper thinking and to informally assess students’ learning? (Teacher Note, pages 59 and 93)

Q Am I helping students remember what they heard by referring back to the text? (Step 5, page 88)


Q Am I spending time daily helping students reflect on their work and interactions? (Teacher Note, page 68) Do I emphasize a problem-solving approach to difficulties? (Teacher Note, page 57)

Q What have I learned from the Class Assessment Notes? Am I reteaching with alternate texts when necessary? (Class Assessment Note, page 56)

Q Am I encouraging students to think about what they are learning from the text features they encounter in texts throughout the day?

Q Am I reminding my students to ask themselves the questions on the “Thinking About My Reading” chart to self-monitor and be responsible for their reading? (Teacher Note, page 57)

Q Am I conferring with students daily to learn about their reading habits and interests?

Q Am I keeping records of my conferences using the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet? (Teacher Note, page 53) What have I learned about my students as readers?



Q What went well in this unit? Where are students excelling? What was challenging? Where do they need support?

Q How are we supporting partners to work productively together throughout the whole unit? (See Random Pairing, page xxiv.)

Q How are we intentionally planning to meet the purpose of the “Read-aloud” lesson? The “Strategy” lesson? “Guided Strategy Practice” lesson? “Independent Strategy Practice” lesson? (See “Preparing the Daily Lessons” on pages xxx–xxxii for more information.)

Q How are students responding to open-ended questions and 5–10 seconds of wait-time? What effect has repeated use of these techniques had on your students’ thinking and articipation? (Facilitation Tip, page 93)

Q Do students notice text features? Are they able to use all of the text features? Are the students able to make sense of the information in the text features?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) Are students able to use text features to understand what they are reading? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students analyzing the effect of their behavior on others? Are they able to explain their thinking? How is “Think, Pair, Write” going?

Q What have you learned about your students’ reading lives, based on your early conferences? What patterns do you notice about their reading habits and interests?

Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What do you notice about students’ comprehension and use of strategies during independent reading?


Q Have you completed the Individual Comprehension Assessment (IA1) for Unit 2?

• If so, what else have you learned about your students as readers? What are their strengths or weaknesses? What might you focus on during the next unit’s IDR conferences?

• If not, take this opportunity to assess individual student’s reading comprehension before continuing to Unit 3. (Assessment Resource Book, page 16)

Q In what ways have you used the professional development media clips to help support your instruction?






UNIT 3: QUESTIONING EXPOSITORY NONFICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students use wondering and questioning to help them understand expository nonfiction texts as they continue an across-grades exploration of animal life. In grade 4, the students learn about animal senses. The students use schema to articulate all they know about the topic before they read. They learn the procedure for “Stop and Ask Questions” and use questioning to help them make sense of texts. During IDR, the students practice questioning as they read nonfiction texts independently, write in their reading journals, and continue to confer with the teacher individually about their use of comprehension strategies. They also review self-monitoring and learn “fix-up” strategies (rereading and reading ahead) that they can use when they don’t understand what they have read. Socially, they continue to develop the skill of explaining their thinking and they learn discussion prompts to help them listen and build on one another’s ideas during discussions. They continue to analyze the effect of their behavior on others and to work in a responsible way.


DO AHEAD












• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, IDR Mini-lesson, and Writing About Reading activities.



• Read “About Building a Body of Knowledge About Animal Life” on page 110.

Q What will be important to keep in mind as you teach this unit?



• Review the Strategy Assessment and IDR Assessment rubrics on pages 40–41 of the Assessment Resource Book. Keep these behaviors in mind as you move through this unit.



Q Which tools in the Teacher’s Manual will support students and our instruction?


Q How will we organize our IDR Conference Notes?

Q How might we randomly establish new partners?


Q What Facilitation Tips do we want to focus on during this unit?

Self-reflection QuestionsQ Am I attending to the information in the margins to support my planning and instruction?

(Teacher Note, pages 111 and 119)

Q Am I asking a question once, without repeating or rephrasing it, and then using wait-time to encourage students to take responsibility for listening carefully the first time? (Facilitation Tip, page 113)

Q Am I helping students recall information and refer to the text by rereading passages during class discussions? (Teacher Note, page 156)

Q Am I reading aloud slowly and clearly, clarifying vocabulary as I read? (Step 4, page 111)

Q Am I listening while partners talk? Are they referring to the text and explaining their thinking? (Teacher Note, page 112)


Q Am I encouraging the use of discussion prompts to help students listen to and build on one another’s thinking? (Teacher Note, page 156)

Q Am I spending time daily both noticing and helping students reflect on their work and interactions? (Teacher Note, pages 136 and 145)

Q Am I encouraging my students to ask questions during their reading to help them pay close attention to their reading throughout the day?

Q What have I learned from the Class Assessment Notes? Am I reteaching with alternate texts when necessary? (Class Assessment Note, page 111)

Q Am I basing the length of time spent reading independently on students’ attention and engagement, building up to 30 minutes by Unit 5? (Teacher Note, page 114)

Q Am I conferring individually with students about the nonfiction texts they are reading during IDR? (IDR Conference Note, page 114)

Q Am I keeping records of my conferences using the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet? (Do Ahead, page 109) What am I learning about my students as readers?

Q Am I providing regular time for students to record the books they complete in their reading logs? (Teacher Note, page 114)




Q Overall, how does the pacing of the lessons feel? Where might you need support to slow down or speed up aspects of a lesson?

Q Does asking a question once, without repeating or rephrasing it, and using wait-time feel natural? What effect has repeated use of these techniques had on your students’ attentiveness and responsiveness during discussions? (Facilitation Tip, page 152)

Q Are the students able to generate “I wonder” statements? Do they use them to think about their texts? Are they able to ask questions relevant to their reading? Are they referring to the text to talk about their questions?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment). Are students able to use questioning to make sense of expository nonfiction texts? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students analyzing the effect of their behavior on others? Are they showing respect for a range of opinions and ideas? (Teacher Note, page 115) Have students shifted their reliance for monitoring their behavior from you onto themselves? (Teacher Note, page 150)


Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What are you noticing about your readers’ comprehension and “fix-up” strategy use during IDR? (Part B of the Individual Comprehen-sion Assessment)


• If so, what more have you learned about your students as readers, based on your conferences? What are their strengths or weaknesses? What might you focus on during the next unit’s IDR conferences?







UNIT 4: ANALYZING TEXT STRUCTURE FICTION, NARRATIVE NONFICTION, AND DRAMA

OverviewDuring this unit, the students analyze the elements of narrative text structure in three different types of text: fiction, narrative nonfiction, and drama. They study character, setting, plot, conflict, and theme, and in the fiction and narrative nonfiction texts, they also discuss the use of first- and third-person point of view. They use questioning to help them make sense of text, look for answers to their questions in the text, and think about whether their questions are answered directly, indirectly, or not at all. During IDR, they practice asking themselves questions and analyzing text structure as they read independently. Socially, they agree and disagree in a caring way and use discussion prompts to build on one another’s ideas during discussions.


DO AHEAD












• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, IDR Mini-lessons, and Writing About Reading activities.



• Read “About Analyzing Text Structure” on page 175.

Q What will be important to remember as you teach this unit?






Q Which tools in the manual will support students and our instruction?


Q How will we organize our IDR Conference Notes?



Q What Facilitation Tips do we want to keep in mind during this unit?

Self-reflection QuestionsQ Am I asking facilitative questions during class discussions to help students respond to one

another and build on each other’s thinking? (Facilitation Tip, page 181)

Q Am I asking a question once, without repeating or rephrasing it, and then using wait-time to encourage students to take responsibility for listening carefully the first time?

Q Am I attending to the information in the margins to support my planning and instruction?


Q Am I reading aloud slowly and clearly, clarifying vocabulary as I read?

Q Am I rereading so that listeners can listen for details they may have missed the first time when appropriate? (Teacher Note, pages 177 and 181)

Q Am I encouraging students to support their answers with evidence from the text and reread passages during class discussions? (Teacher Note, page 201)

Q Am I encouraging the use of discussion prompts to help students listen to and build on one another’s thinking?

Q Am I spending time daily helping students reflect on their social interactions? (Teacher Note, page 220)

Q Am I encouraging students to look for story elements they’ve learned to help them understand their reading at a deeper level throughout the day?

Q What have I learned from the Class Assessment Notes? Am I reteaching with alternate texts when necessary?

Q Am I conferring individually with students about what they are reading during IDR?

Q Am I keeping records of my conferences using the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet? What am I learning about my students as readers?

Q Am I encouraging students to practice using “fix-up” strategies or rereading and reading ahead when they do not understand their reading? (Teacher Note, page 179) Am I reminding readers to self-monitor with the “Thinking About My Reading” chart? (Teacher Note, page 182)




Q Do the students notice the conflicts or problems that characters are facing in their stories? Are students able to describe how the characters changed by the end of their stories? (Teacher Note, page 202) Are students able to identify the main characters, setting, and plot? Do students use evidence from the text to explain their thinking?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) Are students able to analyze text structure to understand what they are reading? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students able to explain their thinking? Are they able to use discussion prompts naturally to add to the class discussions? When there are disagreements, do students recognize them as opportunities to think more deeply about the text? (Teacher Note, pages 219 and 251)

Q In what ways did you model learning for students during this unit? (Teacher Note, pages 209 and 229)


Q Does asking facilitative questions feel comfortable and natural? Do you find yourself using this technique throughout the day? What effect has repeated use of this technique had on your students’ listening and participation during discussions? (Facilitation Tip, page 262)

Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What are you noticing about your readers during IDR? (Part B of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) How attentive and engaged are students as they read for increasingly longer amounts of time? (Teacher Note, page 179)


• If so, what else have you learned about your students as readers, based on your conferences? What are their strengths or weaknesses? What might you focus on during the next unit’s IDR conferences?








UNIT 5: MAKING INFERENCES FICTION AND POETRY

OverviewDuring this unit, the students visualize and make inferences to make sense of narrative text and poetry, and they continue to ask questions and analyze the text structure of narrative text. They also learn to use a double-entry journal to record their thinking. During IDR, the students make inferences and use previously learned comprehension strategies to make sense of their independent reading. They continue to confer with the teacher individually about the texts they are reading. Socially, they are introduced to the skills of confirming that they understand another person’s thinking by repeating back what they heard and using clarifying questions and statements. They also develop the skills of including everyone in and contributing to the group work.


DO AHEAD












• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, IDR Mini-lesson, and Writing About Reading activities.



• Read “About Making Inferences” on page 289.











Q What Facilitation Tips do we want to remember during this unit?

NOTERemind teachers to assess the students’ social skills development while teaching Unit 5 using the “Social Skills Assessment Record” sheet (SS1). Compare recent notes with those taken in the fall, and evaluate how well each student is learning and applying the social skills taught. Note that teachers will reassess social skills development in Unit 9.

Self-reflection QuestionsQ Am I pacing class discussions so that they are lively and focused? (Facilitation Tip, page 294)

Q Am I asking facilitative questions during class discussions to help students respond to one another and build on each other’s thinking? (Facilitation Tip, page 181)


Q Am I reading aloud slowly and clearly, clarifying vocabulary as I read?

Q Am I rereading so that listeners can listen for details they may have missed the first time when appropriate?


Q Am I asking students to support their inferences with evidence from the text saying, “What in the text supports your idea”? (Teacher Note, page 294)

Q Am I encouraging the use of discussion prompts to help students listen to and build on one another’s thinking? For example, “I heard you say _____, did I get that right?” (Teacher Note, page 287)

Q Am I circulating while students are working to check for understanding and support when necessary? (Teacher Note, pages 286 and 298)

Q Am I spending time daily helping students reflect on their social interactions? (Teacher Note, page 220)


Q Do I remind students that using clues to make inferences about their stories helps them to bet-ter understand their reading throughout the day?

Q Am I conferring individually with students about what they are reading during IDR? Are stu-dents reading books that provide opportunities to make inferences? (Teacher Note, page 298)


Q Am I encouraging students to practice using “fix-up” strategies or rereading and reading ahead when they do not understand their reading? Am I reminding readers to self-monitor with the “Thinking About My Reading” chart?




Q Are the students able to identify clues from their reading? Are they able to make appropriate inferences from those clues? Are students working to make sense of what they read? (Teacher Note, page 337)

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Indi-vidual Comprehension Assessment) Are students able to use inferring to understand what they are reading? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development within partner and group work? (Teacher Note, page 322) Are all group members contributing to the discussion? Are group members including one another? Are they able to work through any problems they encounter?

Q How are you pacing lessons and class discussions to keep students engaged and attentive? Do these techniques feel comfortable and natural? Do you find yourself using them through-out the day? What effect has your focus on pacing had on your students’ participation in class discussions? (Facilitation Tip, page 324)


Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What are you noticing about your readers during IDR? (Part B of the Individual Comprehension Assessment)


• If so, what else have you learned about your students as readers, based on your conferences? What progress are they making? Where are they struggling? What might you focus on during the next unit’s IDR conferences?







ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION REFLECTION TOOL

Use the “Individual Teacher Self-reflection Protocol” in Appendix A: “Elements of Effective Implementation Reflection Tool” of the Making Meaning Facilitator’s Guide (located on the CCC Learning Hub) to give each participant an opportunity to self-reflect on his or her instruction.

Discuss goals as a group and think about how you might support one another. Confirm that you will check in and follow up at the end of Unit 6.


UNIT 6: MAKING INFERENCES FICTION, EXPOSITORY NONFICTION, AND NARRATIVE NONFICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students make inferences to understand characters and continue to use text structure to explore narrative text. They also use schema to articulate all they think they know about a topic before they read, and they make inferences to help them understand why something happens or what causes an event to happen as it does in nonfiction. During IDR, the students think about the comprehension strategies they use to make sense of their independent reading, think about the inferences they make as they read, and continue to confer with the teacher individually about the books they are reading. Socially, they continue to practice the skills of using clarifying questions and statements and including everyone in and contributing to the group work.


DO AHEAD








Q What are students expected to do by the end of the unit? What learning is occurring each ay so that students will be ready for end-of-unit expectations? How will this tool support your planning?




• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, Technology Mini-lessons, and Writing About Reading activities.













Self-reflection QuestionsQ Consider your goals from the “Elements of Effective Implementation Reflection Tool.”

• What’s going well?

• What do you want to continue thinking about?

Q Am I avoiding repeating or paraphrasing student responses? (Facilitation Tip, page 353)

Q Am I prompting students to confirm one another’s thinking and to use clarifying questions when they don’t understand? (Teacher Note, page 353)

Q Am I encouraging students to use the discussion prompts to build on one another’s ideas during class discussions?


Q Am I facilitating interaction among students and probing their thinking with questions such as, “Can you say more about that?” “What in the book makes you think that?” and “Why does that make sense?” (Teacher Note, page 387)



Q Am I spending time daily helping students reflect on their social interactions?


Q Do I remind students that using clues to make inferences about their stories helps them to better understand their reading throughout the day? (Teacher Note, pages 352 and 361)

Q Am I conferring individually with students about what they are reading during IDR? Are students reading books that provide opportunities to make inferences?


Q Am I encouraging students to practice using “fix-up” strategies or rereading and reading ahead when they do not understand their reading? Am I reminding readers to self-monitor with the “Thinking About My Reading” chart?




Q Are students able to identify clues and make reasonable inferences about their texts? Can they support their inferences with evidence from the text?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) Are the students able to make inferences to understand characters in fiction and what causes events to happen in nonfiction? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students able to confirm one another’s thinking? Do they ask clarifying questions when they do not understand? Do students include everyone and contribute to group work?

Q How does avoiding repeating or paraphrasing student responses help the students take responsibility for their own learning? Are they participating more responsibly in discussions? Does this technique feel natural to you? (Facilitation Tip, page 406)

Q Review your IDR Conference Notes. What are you noticing about your readers during IDR? (Part B of the Individual Comprehension Assessment)









ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION REFLECTION TOOL CHECK-IN

Have each participant spend some time reviewing and reflecting on the team and individual goals noted on his or her “Elements of Effective Implementation Reflection Tool.” Discuss the following questions:

Q What is something you worked on during this unit that went well?

Q What did you notice as a result of this shift in instruction?

Have team members reread, marking places where they feel successful, as well as marking (with another symbol) areas they would like to focus their instruction during the rest of the year. Discuss goals as a group and think about how you might support one another. Explain that you will check in with the reflection tool again following Unit 9.


UNIT 7: ANALYZING TEXT STRUCTURE EXPOSITORY NONFICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students analyze how articles can inform by highlighting pros and cons and by investigating one side of an issue. They examine how functional texts, such as maps and directions, are organized to inform readers. They also look at textbooks and think about how expository text structures, such as sequence and compare/contrast, are used to organize the information in the text. During IDR, the students use comprehension strategies and continue to confer with the teacher individually about the texts they are reading. Socially, they work responsibly during group work and include one another in and contribute to the group work.


DO AHEAD








Q What are students expected to do by the end of the unit? What learning is occurring each day so that students will be ready for end-of-unit expectations? How will we use this tool to support our planning?



• Several lessons in this unit may take longer than usual to complete, which is noted in the margins. Flag these Teacher Notes to support your pacing for this unit.


• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, and Writing About Reading activities.



• Read “About Expository Text Structures” on page 427.




• Review the Strategy Assessment and IDR Assessment rubric on pages 114–115 of the Assessment Resource Book. Keep these reading behaviors in mind as you move through this unit.











Q Am I responding neutrally with interest during class discussions? (Facilitation Tip, page 430)

Q Am I avoiding repeating or paraphrasing student responses?

Q Am I prompting students to confirm one another’s thinking and to use clarifying questions when they don’t understand?

Q Am I encouraging students to use the discussion prompts to build on one another’s ideas during class discussions? (Teacher Note, page 479)


Q Am I facilitating interaction among students and probing their thinking with questions such as, “Can you say more about that?” “What in the book makes you think that?” and “Why does that make sense?”




Q Do I remind students that expository nonfiction uses text structures like compare/contrast to organize information and that using these structures will help readers better understand their reading throughout the day?


Q Am I keeping records of my conferences using the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet? What have I learned about my students as readers?

Q Am I using the “Thinking About My Reading” chart to help my students self-monitor during IDR? Am I providing time for students to record in their reading logs?




Q Overall, how did pacing of the lessons in this unit feel? In what ways did you make adjustments to support your instruction? (Teacher Note, page 436)

Q Are the students able to identify what they learn from expository nonfiction? Are they able to describe how information is organized?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) Are students able to use wondering to understand expository nonfiction? What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students contributing their thinking to the group? Are they using prompts to extend the discussions?

Q How does responding neutrally with interest support student engagement and elicit thinking? Does this technique feel natural? (Facilitation Tip, page 508)

Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What are you noticing about your readers during IDR? How did students engage in reading their textbooks during this unit? (Part B of the Individual Comprehension Assessment)










READING ASSESSMENT PREPARATION GUIDE

Prior to beginning the next unit, you might wish to prepare the students for an end-of-year CCSS-type reading assessment by teaching the Answering Questions in Response to Text unit in the Reading Assessment Preparation Guide.


UNIT 8: DETERMINING IMPORTANT IDEAS AND SUMMARIZING NARRATIVE NONFICTION

OverviewDuring this unit, the students continue to make inferences to understand text. They also think about important ideas and supporting details in texts and use important ideas to build summaries. During IDR, the students think about the comprehension strategies they use when reading independently. They also identify important ideas and supporting details and practice summarizing. Socially, they give reasons for their opinions, discuss their opinions respectfully, and reach agreement before making decisions. They also learn how to support one another when working independently and how to give feedback in a caring way.


DO AHEAD






Q Consider: What do you notice? What are the implications of this for your readers?






• Several lessons in this unit may take longer than usual to complete, which is noted in the margins. Flag these Teacher Notes to support your pacing for this unit.

• Review the Extensions, Technology Extensions, and Writing About Reading activities.



• Read “About Determining Important Ideas and Supporting Details” on page 527.











Q What Facilitation Tips do we want to remember during this unit?




Q Am I responding neutrally with interest during class discussions? (Facilitation Tip, page 524)

Q Am I avoiding repeating or paraphrasing student responses?

Q Am I prompting students to confirm one another’s thinking and to use clarifying questions when they don’t understand?

Q Am I encouraging students to explain their thinking and support their opinions with evidence from the text? (Teacher Note, page 529)


Q Am I encouraging students to use the prompt, “The reason I think this is ______” to give reasons for their opinions? (Teacher Note, page 547)


Q Am I facilitating interaction among students and probing their thinking with questions such as, “Can you say more about that?” “What in the book makes you think that?” and “Why does that make sense?”

Q Am I circulating while students are working to check for understanding and support when necessary? (Teacher Note, page 547)


Q Do I remind students that identifying important ideas is necessary for summarizing a text and that readers summarize to help them make sense of what they are reading and remember important information?


Q Am I keeping records of my conferences using the “IDR Conference Notes” record sheet? What have I learned about my students as readers?

Q Am I using the “Thinking About My Reading” chart to help my students self-monitor during IDR? Am I providing time for students to record in their reading logs?




Q Overall, how did pacing of the lessons in this unit feel? In what ways did you make adjustments to support your instruction?

Q Are the students able to identify important ideas and supporting details in a text? Are they able to distinguish between important ideas and supporting details? Are students referring to the text to support their thinking? Can they successfully summarize their reading?

Q Review the student response activities and journal entries from the unit. (Part A of the Individual Comprehension Assessment) What evidence of instruction is demonstrated?

Q What do you notice about students’ social development? Are students able to give reasons for their opinions and discuss their opinions respectfully? Are they able to support one another when working independently? Do they give feedback in a caring way?

Q How does responding neutrally with interest support student engagement and elicit thinking? Does this technique feel natural? What effect is it having on the students? (Facilitation Tip, page 610)


Q In what ways did you model learning for students during this unit? (Teacher Note, page 579)

Q Review your “IDR Conference Notes” record sheets. What are you noticing about your readers during IDR? (Part B of the Individual Comprehension Assessment)


• If so, what have you observed about how your students are developing as readers, based on your conferences? What are their strengths or weaknesses? What might you focus on during the next unit’s IDR conferences?







UNIT 9: REVISITING THE READING COMMUNITY

OverviewDuring this unit, the students prepare book recommendations to share with the class, and they generate summer reading lists based on others’ recommendations. They also review the reading comprehension strategies they have learned this year and discuss how the strategies help them make sense of what they read. During IDR, the students read texts of their choice and share and discuss what they are reading with the class. Socially, they act in fair and caring ways, and they listen to the thinking of others and respectfully share their own. They also discuss their growth as readers and as members of a classroom community.


DO AHEAD



• Review the Unit 9 Resources on page 622. Locate any resources that might support your planning.


• Review the Unit Overview chart on page 623. Notice how the unit is designed to build learning over time.

Q What are students expected to do by the end of the unit? What learning is occurring each day so that students will be ready for end-of-unit expectations?

• Skim and scan Unit 9, taking note of the Comprehension and Social Development Focus sections listed on the Week Overview, the IDR Conference Notes, and the questions in the Class Assessment Notes.


• Review the Extensions and Technology Extensions.


• Review the Do Ahead section on the Week Overview.

• Review the Class Assessment Record on page 138 of the Assessment Resource Book. Keep these questions in mind throughout this week.

• Review the IDR Conference Note on page 139 of the Assessment Resource Book.




The final week in Making Meaning wraps up your work with the reading community. As a team, decide when you may want to teach this last week of instruction. If there are several weeks left in the school year, discuss these questions:

Q Are the students using the comprehension strategies successfully?

Q Which strategies seem to be the most challenging for the students?

Based on your discussion, consider which units you want to revisit and reteach using the alternate texts or other books you think might be supportive.


NoteRemind teachers to assess the students’ social skills development during this last week of instruction. Compare your notes from the fall, winter, and spring, and evaluate each student’s social skills development over the course of the year.

Self-reflection QuestionsReflect on your experience over the past year using the Facilitation Tips included in the Making Meaning program.

Q Does using the facilitation techniques feel natural to you?

Q Have you integrated them into your class discussions throughout the school day?

Q What effect did using the facilitation techniques have on your students?

Q Consider your goals from the “Elements of Effective Implementation Reflection Tool.”

• What went well?

• What do you want to continue thinking about for next year?



Use this opportunity to celebrate your reading community’s successes and reflect on the year. Think about and discuss the following questions:

Q Are the students using the comprehension strategies successfully? Which strategies seem to be the most challenging for the students?

Q Is there evidence that the students have grown in their enjoyment of reading?

Q How might we help next year’s students grow as readers?


Q What was challenging for my students this year in terms of their social development?

Q How might I help next year’s students grow socially?

Q What social skills should I emphasize with the students next year to help them build a safe and caring reading community?





ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION REFLECTION TOOL CHECK-IN

Have each participant spend some time reviewing and reflecting on the team and individual goals noted on his or her “Elements of Effective Implementation Reflection Tool.” Discuss the following questions:

Q What is something you worked on during this unit that went well?

Q What did you notice as a result of this shift in instruction?

Have team members reread the reflection tool, marking places where they feel they are successful, as well as marking (with another symbol) places where they would like to focus next year. Discuss goals as a group and think about how you might support one another next year.

Documents

TEAM REFLECTION MEETINGS FOR MAKING …...team members, including time, location, and materials required. At each team meeting, all members will need to bring: • Teacher Manual(s)