What Every SLMS Should KnowWhat Every SLMS Should Knowabout Collaborating about Collaborating

with Other Literacy Professionalswith Other Literacy Professionals

  Prepared by the Prepared by the

SLMS Role in Reading Task ForceSLMS Role in Reading Task Force  

                                                                July 2009July 2009

Rationale for CollaborationRationale for Collaboration

By explicitly teaching and coteaching reading By explicitly teaching and coteaching reading comprehension strategies, LMS can make a positive comprehension strategies, LMS can make a positive impact on students' reading developmentimpact on students' reading development

These strategies are easily integrated into classroom-These strategies are easily integrated into classroom-library lesson plans and storytime learning objectives.library lesson plans and storytime learning objectives.

Source:Source:

Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact Your Impact by Judi Moreillonby Judi Moreillon

Rationale for CollaborationRationale for Collaboration

We cannot teach to the new learning standards We cannot teach to the new learning standards without collaboration because the standards without collaboration because the standards target knowledge building and critical thinking target knowledge building and critical thinking specific to school curriculum subjects. specific to school curriculum subjects.

Classroom teachers are the subject experts Classroom teachers are the subject experts and we need their input to teach reading, and we need their input to teach reading, literacy, and information skills in an integrated literacy, and information skills in an integrated way.way.

Collaboration with subject area specialists will Collaboration with subject area specialists will aid us in developing lessons that fulfill each aid us in developing lessons that fulfill each subject's unique reading, information, and subject's unique reading, information, and literacy needs. literacy needs.

Who Are Our Literacy Who Are Our Literacy Partners? Partners?         

Classroom Teachers at all Grade Levels and in Classroom Teachers at all Grade Levels and in Every Subject AreaEvery Subject Area

Literacy Coaches and Reading SpecialistsLiteracy Coaches and Reading Specialists

Special Education and Title 1 Faculty and StaffSpecial Education and Title 1 Faculty and Staff

Technology TeachersTechnology Teachers

Every teacher at every grade level must contribute Every teacher at every grade level must contribute to each student's reading development.  As a LMS, to each student's reading development.  As a LMS, you are in the perfect position to collaborate with you are in the perfect position to collaborate with ALL faculty and staff to coteach reading literacy ALL faculty and staff to coteach reading literacy skills in all subjects and at all levels! skills in all subjects and at all levels!

Additional Collaborative Additional Collaborative PartnershipsPartnershipsBecome involved in building-level and Become involved in building-level and

district-wide curriculum committees. Let district-wide curriculum committees. Let others see you as a leader and valuable others see you as a leader and valuable teaching partner!teaching partner!

Become involved in local and national Become involved in local and national school, public, and academic library, school, public, and academic library, technology, and reading associations.  technology, and reading associations.  Network and learn from others in our field!Network and learn from others in our field!

Collaborate for literacy initiatives. Write Collaborate for literacy initiatives. Write grants together. Present at their grants together. Present at their conferences; write for their journals.conferences; write for their journals.

How to Initiate Collaboration How to Initiate Collaboration 

Creating new partnerships with other educators Creating new partnerships with other educators will be your biggest challenge. You must initiate will be your biggest challenge. You must initiate collaboration efforts and show teachers how you collaboration efforts and show teachers how you can help and make teaching content objectives can help and make teaching content objectives easier for them.easier for them.

Begin with new teachers, student teachers, and Begin with new teachers, student teachers, and others willing to work with youothers willing to work with you

Gain support from your administrators. Make Gain support from your administrators. Make lesson and unit plans student-centered by lesson and unit plans student-centered by showing how your collaborative efforts benefit showing how your collaborative efforts benefit students with gains in reading achievement and students with gains in reading achievement and test scores.test scores.

How to Initiate CollaborationHow to Initiate Collaboration   

Develop "assured" experiences for each grade Develop "assured" experiences for each grade level. These experiences are lessons and/or level. These experiences are lessons and/or activities that all students will complete at activities that all students will complete at certain points throughout their education. (ex. certain points throughout their education. (ex. 9th grade database orientation). The LMS and 9th grade database orientation). The LMS and collaborating educators will know that students collaborating educators will know that students have a shared background and can scaffold have a shared background and can scaffold future lessons and experiences using the future lessons and experiences using the assured experiences as a baseline.assured experiences as a baseline.

Create an inquiry center with handouts of Create an inquiry center with handouts of collaboration tools both in the physical space of collaboration tools both in the physical space of your library media center and online.your library media center and online.

Seven Reading Comprehension Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies Strategies to Integrate into Lessons and Units: to Integrate into Lessons and Units: 

Activating or building background knowledgeActivating or building background knowledge

Using sensory imagesUsing sensory images

QuestioningQuestioning

Making predictions and inferencesMaking predictions and inferences

Determining importanceDetermining importance

Monitoring and recovering comprehensionMonitoring and recovering comprehension

SynthesizingSynthesizing

See Reading Comprehension Strategies PowerPointSee Reading Comprehension Strategies PowerPoint

How can you, the SLMS, integrate How can you, the SLMS, integrate

each of these seven reading each of these seven reading comprehension strategiescomprehension strategiesinto your collaborative lessonsinto your collaborative lessonsand inquiry units? and inquiry units? 

Coteaching StrategiesCoteaching Strategies

One Teaching, One SupportingOne Teaching, One SupportingOne educator is responsible for the lesson while the other One educator is responsible for the lesson while the other observes, monitors individual or groups of students, or observes, monitors individual or groups of students, or serves as an assistant during the lesson.serves as an assistant during the lesson.

Center TeachingCenter TeachingStudents rotate through learning stations. Two or more Students rotate through learning stations. Two or more centers are facilitated by educators; other centers require centers are facilitated by educators; other centers require students to work independently of adult support.students to work independently of adult support.

Alternative TeachingAlternative TeachingWhile one educator works with the larger group on a lesson While one educator works with the larger group on a lesson that isn’t essential for the entire class, the other works with a that isn’t essential for the entire class, the other works with a smaller group to prepare them for the lesson.  This is useful smaller group to prepare them for the lesson.  This is useful in pre-teaching vocabulary or other lesson components for in pre-teaching vocabulary or other lesson components for English language learners, students with special needs, or English language learners, students with special needs, or those who missed the previous day’s class.those who missed the previous day’s class.

Coteaching StrategiesCoteaching Strategies

Team TeachingTeam TeachingEducators teach together in the same room. They jointly model Educators teach together in the same room. They jointly model strategies, alternate roles during instruction, and share responsibility strategies, alternate roles during instruction, and share responsibility for monitoring students’ guided practice.for monitoring students’ guided practice.

All Coteaching StrategiesAll Coteaching StrategiesAll strategies require that educators jointly plan the learning event.All strategies require that educators jointly plan the learning event.

This information is adapted from Marilyn Friend and Lynne This information is adapted from Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cook who first developed these strategies to support special Cook who first developed these strategies to support special education inclusion models for coteaching.education inclusion models for coteaching.

Source:Source:Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals by Marilyn Friend by Marilyn Friend and Lynne Cookand Lynne Cook

For Further Study:For Further Study:

Alfassi, M. 2004. Reading to Learn: Effects of Combined Strategy Instruction Alfassi, M. 2004. Reading to Learn: Effects of Combined Strategy Instruction on High School Students. on High School Students. Journal of Educational Research Journal of Educational Research 97, 171-184.97, 171-184.

Carr, J., and I. F. Rockman. 2003. Information-literacy Collaboration: A Shared Carr, J., and I. F. Rockman. 2003. Information-literacy Collaboration: A Shared Responsibility: Academic Librarians Must Work with Their K-12 Colleagues Responsibility: Academic Librarians Must Work with Their K-12 Colleagues in Enabling Students to Succeed in College. in Enabling Students to Succeed in College. American Libraries American Libraries 34, 52-55.34, 52-55.

Carter, C. 1997. Why Reciprocal Teaching? Carter, C. 1997. Why Reciprocal Teaching? Educational Leadership Educational Leadership 54, 64-68. 54, 64-68.

Friend, M., and L. Cook. 2009. Friend, M., and L. Cook. 2009. Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School ProfessionalsProfessionals. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson.

Joyce, M. 2006. A Niche for Library Media Specialists: Teaching Students How Joyce, M. 2006. A Niche for Library Media Specialists: Teaching Students How to Read Informational Text. to Read Informational Text. Library Media Connection Library Media Connection 24, no.7, 36-38.24, no.7, 36-38.

Loertscher, D. 2007. What Is the School Library's Role in Reading? Core Loertscher, D. 2007. What Is the School Library's Role in Reading? Core Understandings from Reading Research and School Library Program Understandings from Reading Research and School Library Program Elements. Elements. Teacher Librarian Teacher Librarian 34, no.3, 36.34, no.3, 36.

For Further Study:For Further Study:

Long, D. 2007. Increasing Literacy in the High School Library: Collaboration Long, D. 2007. Increasing Literacy in the High School Library: Collaboration Makes It Happen. Makes It Happen. Teacher Librarian Teacher Librarian 35, no.1, 13-17. 35, no.1, 13-17.

Moreillon, J.  2007. Moreillon, J.  2007. Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact.Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions. Chicago: ALA Editions.

Porter, W., C. Lamb, and C. Lopez. 2008. Three Heads Are Better than One: Porter, W., C. Lamb, and C. Lopez. 2008. Three Heads Are Better than One: The Reading Coach, the Classroom Teacher, and the Teacher-Librarian. The Reading Coach, the Classroom Teacher, and the Teacher-Librarian. Teacher Librarian Teacher Librarian 36, no.1, 28-30. 36, no.1, 28-30.