Reading Strategies-Week Five

Already it is the end of July! We're having a heat wave here in East County San Diego.  I've spent the last few days inside, trying to stay cool.  I even went into my classroom *gasp*!  Besides, I got a decent sunburn from last week so I don't want to make it worse! I spent this weekend with 3 of my teacher girlfriends (well, two have retired! Lucky ducks!) in the desert scrapbooking.  We have a great time watching movies, talking, and scrappin' away!  No kids, no chores, lave your stuff out overnight to start again, maybe stay in your PJs fun, for 4 days!  Don't be jelly!  When I return I have just a few days of summer left-boo hoo!

I really enjoyed these two chapters and I can't wait to put these strategies to use with my kiddos in a few weeks.  

Goal 10-Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Getting the Most From Text Features

This section is all about getting information from those text features.  So often we teach students what the text features are and how to recognize them.  We even tell them why they are there.  But do we really teach them how to use them and what information they can get from them?  I know I don't do this well.  Also, as text level increases, the text features become more text heavy.  Information is jam-packed, in there people!  What is a student to do with it all?!  Now I know how to teach them! What an eye opener!

10.4 Caption It!

I really like the idea of having students look carefully at a photo or picture after having read the surrounding text and giving that picture a one sentence caption.  This really tells the reader and the teacher that the student has understood the main text.  

10.12  Don't Skip It!

Sometimes nonfiction can have several features along with text on a page that can get overwhelming for a young reader.  This strategy teaches students to follow a "plan" for reading all of this information and putting it all together.  It also ensures that they don't miss anything!

Goal 11-Improving Comprehension in Fiction and Nonfiction: Understanding Vocabulary and Figurative Language

At one point in the last few years, our district adopted a program focussed on vocabulary.  The program was designed for grades 3 and up, but the district tried to push it down to first grade.  As a second grade teacher at the time, my colleagues and I were very frustrated because it was an unnatural way of learning and inappropriate for our students.  Even as a third grade teacher I'm still opposed!  Luckily, the program has quietly disappeared-shhh...don't bring it up!  

Seravallo notes that several research studies agree that "most word learning occurs unconsciously and through normal reading, writing, speaking, and listening"!  Me too!  So let's read!  Students who, after reading, are having difficulty figuring out the meaning of unknown words are good candidates for this goal.  Some strategies I particularly like are:

11.1  Retire Overworked Words

This one seems to be so hard for my kiddos!  Recognizing the words that they use repeatedly and that are vague then revising them to be more precise is something we need to work on often.  We will be focusing on this one a lot this coming year!  

11.7  Picture It

I love this one!  Kids in the primary grades are so literal!  They can easily be stumped by figurative language.  By picturing first the separate words' meanings, then putting them together into one picture, students can recognize their mistakes in comprehension and also rethink the meaning of a passage so it makes sense.  They could even draw the literal picture either in their head or on paper.  This could make a very funny book-similar to Amelia Bedelia!

11.14  Know the Word, Use the Word

Seravallo noted earlier that students need to use the words they encounter to internalize the meanings and include them in their working vocabulary.  Encouraging students to keep track of an unusual word (for them) and working to use it in written and oral situations can be very empowering!  This student's journal is a great idea!

Next week we'll wrap up this book study. But I really want to hear from you!  What strategies do you love?  Are you already using this book?  What is working?  Any tips for someone new to these strategies?  

Reading Strategies-Week Five

Time is flying!  Just two weeks left of summer and I really have nothing to share with my colleagues when I return.  I have been personally tracking my reading on a Summer Book Challenge through Goodreads.  I am finishing up book 9 (yes nine!) since June, and I hope to read 2 more before school starts in full in 3 weeks.  The challenge includes several summer related topics from which to read and has really stretched my imagination sometimes.  I have enjoyed most of them.  I just finished Wild which was popular several years ago, and I think it was my favorite!  I had forgotten they made a movie of it, so now I need to find it on Netflix and add that to my watch list-maybe when I have less time for reading!

Besides reading, it was quite an adventuresome week.  My 16 year old got her license, then got stung by a stingray (note there were quite a few folks being treated at the lifeguard station that day!), my older daughter and I went to a paint nite at a local coffee shop, and a lot of time is being spent selling  and buying a new (to me) car that will eventually become the teen's when she graduates.  Now, if we can just find what we're looking for...

I will be visiting my classroom this week and getting stuff prepared for school at home, as well as making the annual pilgrimage to Target, Office Depot, Staples, Dollar Tree etc!  Here we go....  I always enjoy the new school year, but hate that it means the end of the summer!  Are you ready yet?  

On to the book study....

Goal 8-Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Main Topic(s) and Idea(s)

I love that Jennifer Serravallo notes that children often remember the "zingers" they read in nonfiction text and that  by creating a mini organization system (I picture a file cabinet) in their head where they place the information from the text and that more complex texts have affects the understanding of that information. I also love the idea of planting sticky notes throughout a text, and having students identify the main idea as they go as a way to assess this goal.   I have always had trouble, myself, separating the topic from the main idea so I probably have not taught this so well to my students either.  This chapter has given me plenty of great ideas to choose from.  

8.1 One Text, Multiple Ideas (or Topics)

This is like text evidence math! As students read, they note what each section is mostly about.  Then they add that information to their previous notes. Students can then determine if the author has moved on to a new idea or if it adds to the first idea.  This strategy works well with students at many different levels.  However, higher level readers may be able to construct a complex statement about the ideas the author has mentioned.  Again, I see sticky notes in this strategy as a way to collect all of those thoughts and put them together as a whole.  They would also be useful for students to construct a paragraph or so summarizing what they had read. 

8.3  Topic/Subtopic/Details

I have never really had my students take good notes while reading.  I always felt they needed to focus on their reading without being distracted by note taking.  After teaching third grade last year after many years in second, I realize my students are more able to do this than I thought.  Using Jennifer's example, students can categorize their notes easily.  I can see this graphic organizer working with 8.8 Sketch in Chunks as well. (Think Sylvia Duckworth's SketchNoting!)

8.14  Time = Parts

This strategy is specifically designed to be used with biographies, subdividing a person's life into subtopics (usually timeframes).  However, since biographies are often written with the person like a character in a book, Jennifer Serravallo suggests using Chapters 5 and 6 to support comprehension in narrative nonfiction.  I like how the student has placed their notes on a timeline.

Goal 9-Supporting Comprehension in Nonfiction: Determining Key Details

Jennifer Serravallo says, "Determining key details is the difference between taking a highlighter to every single word in a textbook, and highlighting just those facts that align to your purpose for reading, or that align to what the author is trying to day."  What an excellent visual when defining key details! By paying attention to how a child connects the main idea and details of a text, and the quality of those details a teacher is able to determine if this goal is the right fit for his or her students.  I can see myself using the following strategies:

9.2  Reading with a Sense of "WOW"

Encouraging students to be curious about their reading can be difficult, especially with younger readers, but this curiosity will help them remember key details.  Jennifer suggests telling students to "let the information "sink in", think about how it answers questions or satiates your curiosity."  This can be more difficult when a text is part of a curriculum or something that has been chosen by others, but students need to be able to read and understand texts that they choose as well as those assigned to them and using this strategy may help them find the WOW in something they weren't even interested in!

9.7  Click and Clunk

What a great way to help students focus on their own understanding!  Did it "click", or make sense or were you confused, "clunk"? When you feel that clunk, you need to go back to reread.  The padlock visual is very effective!

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9.14  Slow Down for Numbers

Numbers, numbers, numbers!  Some kids love 'em, some don't, but within a nonfiction reading they are probably important.  It can be helpful to draw (here's that SketchNoting again!) or visualize exactly what those numbers mean to get a good understanding of what is being said.  Slow down, people!

That's that for now!  Next up: more nonfiction comprehension as well as some focus on language/vocabulary strategies.  Have a great week!

Reading Strategies Book-Week 4

Wow!  I can't believe my summer is half over already.  Seems like my to do list grows and my fun list is not shrinking!  I'm beginning to think more about school and possibly even visiting my classroom to get some things taken care of before we officially return.

I did get to a girlfriend's birthday party at a resort pool, rented a kayak with a friend, took my daughter and her friend to the beach, met with my book club, and sent my high schooler to camp in the local mountains.  So fun is being had, but I want to do so much more!

I have been doing some mental planning, TPT browsing, and filling my internet shopping carts with things I need/want to start the year.  Of course I also did my book study reading.  Let's review the chapters for this week!

Goal 6-Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Thinking About Characters

Jennifer Serravallo notes that readers can be caught up by characters in a story, in fact, they can often seem like our friends.  Authors create characters and give us details to create a "picture" of that character through how the character looks, their background, their personality/characteristics/moods, how they respond to events in the story, and how they change over time.  Understanding those characters can help us "think differently or about or better understand people in our own lives." (p. 162)

As children's reading ability develops, the complexity of a character also develops and children are able to describe the character in more detail.  Serravallo gives several great strategies to support character comprehension in this chapter.  Some of those I particularly like are:

6.6 Back Up Ideas About Characters with Evidence

Since it is so important that third grade students be able to find and write about textual evidence, I think this strategy is very relevant.  Students write a theory on a sticky note then reread to find the text evidence that supports their theory.  I absolutely love the student sample on this page!  it also requires the student to put their idea into a written theory.

6.12  Empathize to Understand

I think this strategy has relevance in more than just reading comprehension.  Some children find it very hard to empathize with others, but have a whole different point of view when they are involved!  Teaching them about empathy through reading and recognizing how other characters react to each other can help students develop their own sense of character as well as comprehension!

6.22  Consider Character in Context

This one can be tricky!  I love that this strategy can be used with biography and historical fiction!  I can also see using it with students who aren't yet the suggested levels.  The tricky part is that sometimes students just don't know the time in which a story is set.  In this, we may need to guide them more.  Paying attention to the language, the setting, and the styles (often portrayed in pictures if there are any) can help a child understand how a character is developing in a text.  It can also give them valuable insight to the time period the story is set in.

Goal 7-Supporting Comprehension in Fiction: Understanding Themes and Ideas

 Harvey and Goudvis (2000) define theme as "the underlying ideas, morals, or lessons that give a story its texture, depth, and meaning."  I have always struggled with teaching these as it seems so open to interpretation.  I am glad to read more about it and see many ideas that I can use to teach my students.  But Jennifer Sarravallo says on p. 191 that "when children are taught to think with more depth about the reading, that's when reading really begins to matter."  So teaching theme is more important than I had realized.  However, this is a goal appropriate for students that can already understand plot, setting, and character.  I found several strategies that will greatly help me teach students to recognize and articulate the themes they read about in books.

7.2  The Difference between Plot and Theme

OK, maybe I need this lesson too!  Seravallo describes plot as what happens in the story as opposed to theme which are the ideas of the story.  By having students note the important events, they can then use those to formulate the theme.  Thinking and examining those events will give a bigger picture. I like the question, "What is your idea about what is happening?"

7.10  Actions,  Outcomes, Response

I feel like, as a reader, I get so caught up in the story that I don't necessarily put all the pieces together.  I notice that sometimes in my book club.  Other women make points about things I have completely missed!  This strategy has students map out actions of one character and the response of another character to determine the lesson that character learns.  Again, I like the physical map that the students create to determine that lesson.  I think it would be great in their response journals so they can refer back to it in other readings.  

7.14  Find Clues About Theme in the Blurb

Often, reading the blurb on the back cover can give great insight into a book.  Side note: it drives me crazy when the back of the book is covered with comments, usually praise, from other authors.  That is nice and all and I get wanting to publish those for all to see, but I want to know what the book is about!  Is it something I want to read???  In a blurb it is possible to find the theme of the story whether before reading or by rereading after you've completed the book.  I also like the idea of photocopying the blurb so students can markup their findings in the text.  It would be interesting to see what they pick up on before reading then revisit it after reading to see if they notice more.

Next week we jump into nonfiction comprehension; understanding main topics and ideas and determining key details.  Since I see myself using these strategies in small group reading and I'd like to use more non-fiction in my group work, I am really looking forward to reading these chapters!  Have a great week!

Reading Strategies Book-Week Three

What a nice week!  My husband had this week off and we spent some time together relaxing, visiting the fair, doing some odd jobs around the house and eating at new restaurants.  I also read another book for pleasure!  I think I'm up to four this summer!  Obviously I'm also reading for professional development, too.  Let's talk about Goals 4 & 5, shall we?

Goal 4-Teaching Fluency

Jennifer Seravallo, along with Rasinski and Kuhn, notes that, for the reader, pace, phrasing, intonation, expression, and emphasis shows "the text is making sense and makes sense of the reading."  Fluency is a sign of comprehension.  Though this can be difficult for a young reader to synthesize, I think.  Just as students at beginning reading levels are working so hard to read the words, that their comprehension dips, I think it is also true that students focus on the comprehension, thus their fluency dips.  I believe this all seems to come together in about third grade. 

As a third grade teacher, I found several strategies that would benefit my students.  Some of my favorites include:

4.1 Read It Like You've Always Known It

Seems pretty obvious, right? But I think sometimes it takes students so much effort to figure out a word, that I am just glad they've completed the task.  Most likely, I congratulate them and we move on.  I need to remember to have them reread that part so it becomes more fluent!

4.16 Read Like a Storyteller

I like this strategy because it incorporates several other strategies into one when the student is ready.  Using this strategy, students read like a narrator and like the character taking into account the character's feelings (strategy 4.11) and the tags the author uses with dialog (strategy 4.10 and 4.21) improving their intonation and expression.  I can easily see how including these strategies reflects a student's comprehension. 

4.19 Snap to the Next Line

So often students read right through punctuation or stop their phrasing when they get to the end of a line of text.  By looking ahead to where the punctuation is and snapping to the next line, students   see where their voice should stop. This strategy works well with Get Your Eyes Ahead of the Words (4.14) as well as looking at Punctuation at the End of Sentence (4.6) and Punctuation Inside a Sentence (4.8)

4.18 Partners Can Be Fluency Teachers

Teaching the students to really help their classmates when working together is a tricky, but necessary, use of time.  By noticing mistakes their partner is making, students are more likely to recognize their own mistakes.  Teaching them to guide their partner and perhaps making an anchor chart similar to the one on page 125 is a great reference that students can refer to to coach each other. 

Goal 5-Supporting Comprehension in Reading

This seems to be my favorite chapter so far, since this is where my students struggle most.  I feel like I ask the same question over and over to get students to think about their reading.  "Tell me what happened in this book/chapter/section."  I am so glad to have some new ideas!

The first sentence resonated with me as a book lover myself, "To help students achieve that lost-in-a-book, engaged sort of reading that makes reading enjoyable they have to understand what is going on." So true! How can you get lost if you're not understanding!  When looking for comprehension can a child tell you what they read sequentially and include the most important information?  Sorting through what is important is difficult for third graders-they want to tell EVERYTHING that happened!

These strategies will be helpful in my reading groups and book discussions:

5.4 Uh-oh...Phew

What a great way to think of plot and important information!  Something happens (the first uh-oh) then the problem gets worse (UH-OH), finally there is a solution (Phew!)  The visual that accompanies this strategy can easily be used as a kiddo reads through their book.  I also love that this can be used with the F-L readers (and beyond)!

Seravallo, p. 137

5.14 Chapter-End Stop Signs

Students at the third grade level (and their parents) feel like they SHOULD be reading chapter books.  Whether they are ready or not, and even in complex picture books, a child may not read all in one sitting.  This strategy suggests students note what has happened in what they have read, then review those notes before continuing to read.  Sticky notes would be the perfect tool since what the students write needs to remain brief and can also be attached to the page they just finished when writing. What a great way to monitor a book club or group as well as discuss perceptions based on what the students have read (different points in the story) as well as the personal connections they have made!

 

5.20 Not Just Page Decorations

This strategy is so perfect for my advanced readers (P and above)!  What great discussions we could have using higher level thinking when noticing the breaks and marks an author uses to signal changes in setting or time!  

P.S. Did you notice that my book is spiral bound?  For about $5 and an hour or so, I was able to go to the Kinko's/FedEx and have them re-bind my book.  I got this idea from I Teach, What's Your Superpower when I was researching this book.  Great idea!!  This has already proved helpful in reading through this book and I am sure to appreciate it when I am flipping through it as a reference while using with my class!  

The next two chapters continue to focus on specific elements of comprehension in fiction; characters and themes/ideas.  I'm sure it will be difficult to discuss just a few!  See you next week!

Reading Strategies Book-Week Two

Well, I hope you have been enjoying your week so far.  I just finished week 2 of summer break.  This week I got a few things done around the house, went to see the Incredibles 2-that was fun, enjoyed some time with my mom at a PlantNite event, and had Russian/Ukranian food with friends. My younger daughter just finished her summer school, so I no longer have to worry about that schedule and my husband is off this next week so we plan to get out and about in this wonderful weather.  PS if you have Plant Nite in your area, try it I created this cute amethyst bowl and had fun doing it! 

*Reminder my book study is based on a study of the same book published in 2017, found here on the blog Teaching Little Miracles.

Goal 2: Teaching Reading Engagement

In this chapter Jennifer Serravallo notes the importance of engagement.  In fact, she concludes, based on several studies, that "Research has shown that the amount of time kids spend practicing, on-task, with eyes on print, makes the biggest difference to their success as readers and across content areas".  This can become a bit tricky in that students at the third grade level (my students) are learning to find their own reading materials, but at the same time are required to read several types of text in the school setting, many of which they would likely not choose themselves.  

In Crystal's blog she notes that she doesn't like book/reading logs.  I admit, I'm not a fan either.  In my experience, many children (and parents) are dishonest on reading logs.  Either they sign off on the log whether or not the reading has been completed or they write down titles that have not been read or may be inappropriate for the reader. (Like I don't notice when they are "reading" books they are not ready for or that are too easy, and it is pretty obvious when a poor reader has a full reading log each week!)  But I want to mention that I may have found a solution.  I came across these Skill Based Reading Logs from Miss DeCarbo that I plan to try this school year. They focus on a reading skill rather then the number of books or minutes a student reads! Now, why didn't I think of that!?  I'm hoping it is the answer to my battle with reading logs!

Some of the strategies I found interesting include:

2.6 Fixing the Fuzziness

As a student reads, they learn to check in with themselves to be sure the reading makes sense.  If it doesn't, they need to go back and reread.  This seems pretty obvious, but I never really thought of it for the lower level readers.  I was much more focused on the word recognition/phonics than on context, which makes it perfect for a third grade reader at any level. In this strategy, she also suggests making a personal connection with the text, encouraging strong comprehension.

2.8 Set a Timed Goal

This strategy focuses on stamina.  It incorporates a mental break to help students stay engaged.  A break that is appropriate for each student!  What really drew me to this strategy was the goal setting visual.  I think often we ask the students to read so manny pages or for a certain time period without truly thinking of the students' needs.  This anchor chart includes multiple goals.  

2.15 Choose Like Books for a Best Fit

Another a-ha moment!  This strategy develops book choice.  Of course it makes sense to teach students to choose a new book based on a book they enjoyed--I do that all the time!  I just never really thought to use the internet tools I use.  I frequently recommend books to students based on authors or series that students have already read, but there are so many new books being published that I just can't keep up.  Maybe I can even incorporate this into my library by flagging specific books and even having my class write a recommendation.  I saw these a few years back, and, after much searching I finally found these speech bubbles where students can write book recommendations to put into your classroom library.  So cute! I'm going to make sure to use these this year and highlight a few "lost" books myself!

2.26 Does it Engage Me?

Also emphasizing book choice and focus, is this little strategy.  After reading the first page of a book, ask a series of questions to the reader to determine if they would really be interested in the book.  Often, in the school library, there are some fabulous books with worn or unappealing covers.  Students really do judge a book by its cover (and who am I kidding?  so do I!).  Books such as The Hardy Boys are so captivating for students, but they've often been in the library for quite some time and don't have the cover appeal as newer titles.  This is a different way to approach a quality book.

I had trouble understanding the Go/Stop mat in strategy 2.11.  If this strategy was clearer to you, would you please explain it in the comments?  Thanks!  Do your students need support with engagement? What strategies did you find most appealing? 

Goal 3: Supporting Print Work

This goal is all about decoding.  I love how Jennifer Saravallo compares the integration of meaning, syntax, and visuals to a juggler with three balls in the air.  "It take coordination, mental effort, and strategic action." The reader has to put these skills into a mental tool box for later use while instead focussing on comprehension.  As a former second and first grade teacher, these strategies were very familiar to me.  However, these two stood out:

3.19 Take the Word Apart, Then Put it Back Together

What I liked most about this strategy was the wording: "readers are like detectives who try to figure out the mystery of a new word."  I think just using this phrasing will help students remember the skill!

3.22 Unpacking What it Means to "Sound Right"

By determining the parts of speech of an unknown word, the student is able to try different words that may sound right in the sentence.   This kind of thinking synthesizes student learning of grammar and reading and is perfect for the reader that occasionally comes across an unknown word.  I believe this strategy would work very well with my third graders.  

I also like how Crystal tells here students to "Spot the Vowel" when decoding words.  You can find her blog post about Goal 3 here as well as a cute TPR video to help students remember decoding skills. What decoding skills did you find most helpful? 

The Reading Strategies Book-Week One

This week I will be focussing on the chapters Getting Started and Goal 1.  Following Crystal's lead from her book study last year. After reading these first two chapters I was impressed by the loads of information that will be in each chapter of this book! This is really going to help me focus on what my students need to support their reading growth!

Getting Started

Favorite Quote:

My favorite quote from this chapter does just that, sums up the focus necessary to help young readers succeed.  

Here is where I struggle: My reading focus does not focus on the individual reader! The students just participate in the reading.  This is not to say they are not learning, they just aren't goal centered so have no focus themselves!  What is your favorite quote from this chapter?

Goal Setting:

Crystal asks, "How do you fit in time for conferencing and/or goal setting?"   Well, this will be something new for me.  I intend to use these strategies in small group guided reading, though I'm sure they will spill into Shared and Close Reading as well.  

I am thinking that once students are assessed and divided into small groups, I will make some time in the early weeks, while training my students on independent work and stamina, to have mini-conferences with each student to discuss and make goals for the first part of the school year.  I think I will modify their reading notebooks to make them more interactive.  These composition books will hold their goals and mini anchor charts that define and describe strategies so students can revisit them later, as well as include work toward that goal such as writing, vocabulary, etc.  How will you make time for individual conferencing or goal setting?

Scaffolding:

Jennifer Serravallo discusses the importance of offering a variety of strategies to students but "once the reader becomes skilled, the process, the strategy, becomes automatic and something to which the reader no longer needs to give conscious attention." (p. 9)

Crystal asks us to think about a temporary scaffold in our classroom and how we assure it is temporary.   One thing that comes to mind is the use of manipulatives during math.  I teach the students to use these when regrouping a number, but as the students internalize the understanding of the base-ten system, they no longer need those base-ten blocks.  For some, the removal of the blocks takes longer than others (thus the individual differentiation), but by the end of the unit few students will still need them.

This is exemplified in the Getting Started chapter by the types of charts noted on p. 16-18 and specific feedback on p. 11 as well as what Ms. Serravallo mentions in the "Visuals" section of each strategy. All are scaffolds that, with plenty of practice, students will no longer need to access after practicing specific skills.  What kind of scaffolding do you use in your class?

 Goal 1: Supporting Pre-Emergent and Emergent Readers

This chapter is full of wonderful ways to support those emergent readers!  As a third grade teacher many of these strategies would not be beneficial to me (but thinking back to my first grade days, wowza--TONS of stuff!).  I could see several of these strategies helping with my students that are struggling readers, have IEPs, or are English Language Learners.  Three of my favorites are:

1.9 Back Up, Revise

With this strategy, students are revising their reading (and thinking) to be sure what they have read makes sense.  Often students read a text in one way and, even with their errors, it does make sense.  Then they find inconsistencies as they continue reading.  Using the prompts to have students revise their reading helps support the comprehension piece that is so essential to third grade and supports their confidence, even when the text appears to be simple to the student's peers. 

1.16 What I See/What I Think

I like this strategy because again, it does not scream, "You are a below level (or emergent) reader!" to a student's peers and because it can be used for both narrative and nonfiction texts.  In this strategy students make multiple connections to what they read in either the pictures or the text.  Again, this allows students to monitor their reading and understanding of a text.  This comprehension can support the phonics of reading words and self-correction as well.

1.19 Connect the Pages

Similar to What I See/What I Think, this strategy works with narrative or nonfiction and requires students to make connections within the text.  Students here are focussing on the big idea of the text, connecting the events or information from one page to another throughout the reading.  

It is easy to see myself using these strategies with my third graders that are at the emergent stage.  Unfortunately, I think these would have been very helpful with one of my IEP students last year even though he was in my low reading group, the other students were much further ahead than he was. He was could have been easily been working with the same materials as the other students but in a different, more effective, way that fit his ability level!  I look forward to having this resource for future students like this guy.  What strategies spoke to you from this goal?

Next week we will be reading Goal 2: teaching Reading Engagement and Goal 3: Supporting Print Work.  I look forward to reading your thoughts and sharing again next Tuesday.

Happy Summer! and a Book Study

I've been out for a week now and have spent a lot of time reorganizing things, planning out my summer, and generally relaxing-I've already completed two books for pleasure!

As teachers, though, we are always learning! Each summer I like to choose a book to read for Personal Professional Development. Seems I only write on this blog in the summer, but it keeps my ideas together and maybe someone will join in...  I chose the following book several weeks ago with the plans to improve my guided reading instruction (and consistency)!

The book itself came recommended (among others) in a teacher group on Facebook to the group as a whole.  I looked and looked for a book study, but it seems I missed the boat on that one-people read it a while ago.  So I'm jumping in on the study Crystal and Kristi did last summer on their blog, Teaching Little Miracles. --hope that's ok ladies--  I'll follow their lead, and from the study guide provided by Heinemann, but post my reflections here if you'd like to join me.

Here is my schedule for the summer: