SUPPORTING BALANCED LITERACY THROUGH THE TEACHERS COLLEGE MODEL

August 21, 2013

TODAY’S GOALSShare framework / components of

Teachers College Model for Units of Study

Begin with Interactive Read Alouds (What is it? How do I plan for it?)

Don’t freak out!

90 MINUTE READING BLOCKInteractive Read Aloud

Word Work / Word Study

Readers Workshop

•Model a variety of strategies •Teach students how to talk about books (accountable conversations)•Develop reading partnerships•Vary texts and lessons to support unit of study•Provide exposure to vocabulary, concepts and text structures

•Teach phonics, spelling and vocabulary•Base instruction on spelling inventory (see Words Their Way)•Provide mini-lesson followed by skill based, small group work and independent practice

•Mini lesson•Student Reading time with Conferring and Small Group Work•Mid-Workshop Teaching Point•Teaching Share/Partner/Book Clubs

HOW WILL WE GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO?

August / September Interactive Read AloudsOctober Interactive Read AloudsNovember / December Mini lessonsJanuary Mini lessonsFebruary ConferringMarch ConferringApril Word Work?May/June Assessments?

Professional Development will support elements of Teachers College Model

Book Studie

s Planning

PD session

s

INTERACTIVE READ ALOUDS Aim for 20-30 minutes daily. Use quality informational and narrative texts.

(Integrate your subject areas and promote intertextual connections!)

Deliberately plan which skills and strategies you will focus on with each text.

Incorporate think-alouds into your instruction.

Build in a day for rereading a text and incorporating skill extension (writing-based retelling, compare-contrast texts…).

Goal: engage students in actively using specific reading strategies while teacher guides and coaches.

HOW DO INTERACTIVE READ ALOUDS WORK? Choose Texts that are:

High interest & address standards For your target audience (gr. level, length…) Diverse and encourage multicultural connections Clear and accurate Created by same author or illustrator (create

connections)

Choose Vocabulary that is: Functional and meaningful Rich, varied, interesting without compromising

text’s overall meaning Important to the story

INTERACTIVE READ ALOUDS Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! (K-2)http://vimeo.com/55950927

Gorillas (3-5)http://vimeo.com/55965891

What do you notice about management?

Instruction? Students? Teacher?

POSSIBLE STRUCTURE FOR AN INTERACTIVE READ ALOUD

- Book Intro- Think Alouds (at least 2)- Turn and Talk- Think Alouds- Turn and Talk - Grand conversation Let’s

try it out!

PARTNER TALK PROGRESSION1 2 3 4 5

Partners looking away from each other

Partner’s conversations running out of steam quickly

One partner speaks, then the other, then they are “done”

One partner engaged and dominating conversation

One partner nudges the other to speak

The other partner may be disengaged

Partners only agreeing with one another

Partners repeating each other’s ideas

Partners talk without referring to text

Partners actively listen to one another

Partners reflect on what the other said

Partners talking about and referring to text

Partners repeating each other’s ideas and using prompts to build new ones

Partners grounding all ideas in the text

Partners are prepared with questions, ideas, favorite parts marked

Partners building on what the other says

Partners keeping the conversations going longer than required

Partners speaking about books with passion

POST READ ALOUD Writing Whole Group Discussion with accountable

talk (Grand Conversation)http://vimeo.com/55950928 Partner work Reference strategies again during workshop

mini lessons, conferences, small group instruction

Create an anchor chart

GATHERING ASSESSMENT DATA(a.k.a…

What do I do with all those darn post it notes?)

What am I assessing? Engagement Comprehension Use of strategies

Collect for quick pulse and to guide small group work Use as journal starter

YOUR TURN! With your teammates, choose an engaging

text that you can use for a read aloud next week.

What CCSS will you address? Create post it notes that show your teacher

modeling and opportunities for guided student discussion.

WHAT SHOULD I DO FROM NOW THROUGH THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL?Become a reading professional!!• Read Unit 1 of Units of Study • Review your Yearlong map from time to time

(look ahead!!)• Continue planning for Read Alouds • Be prepared for planning • Organize your library

Do you know how to access Intranet resources?

WHAT SHOULD I DO FROM NOW THROUGH THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL?

Get to know your readers!!•Interest inventories, conferences, observations•Start individual bags of books•Reading Logs (2nd -5th)•Reading Response journals•Start building anchor charts to help students visualize strategies

WHAT SHOULD I DO FROM NOW THROUGH THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL?Create a Reading Environment• Establish reading partnerships• Start individual bags of books• Reading Logs (2nd -5th)• Reading Response journals

(all)• Start building anchor charts to

help students visualize strategies

• Interactive Read Alouds

RESOURCES The Continuum of Literacy Learning Book studies Me! (available for modeling lessons, co-

planning…) Any experts in the building?? http://readingandwritingproject.com/ Elementary Literacy Grade Level Pages (Intranet Departments Humanities Literacy Elementary

Literacy)