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Revisiting The Reading Workshop Chapters 7 & 8

    

          Chapter 7 explores the elements of independent reading.  Students respect each other's reading in a quiet, inviting classroom while the  teacher is conferencing,  guiding a reading group or observing a group having a story chat.  The authors stress the importance of  the teacher's  conveying  his/her passion for reading and providing opportunities to demonstrate this.

          Guidance through the conference procedure, points about behaviors and roles of the student and teacher, a conference form and descriptions of different types of conferences were offered in this chapter. Interventions for students with reading difficulties were shown on easy to read and comprehend charts.  The sample conferences showed how the teacher is constantly involved in assessment.

          The quote from Sharon Taberske that, " After all, the primary purpose of responding to books is to move children into a richer and a broader reading experience.  And as children read more widely and proficiently, they  can respond more effectively",  shows the basis for encompassing all of the elements in Reading Workshops.  Each element strengthens another element which results in a more fluent capable reader. 

          Sharing one's reading provides the student the opportunity to connect the day's mini-lesson to independent reading, to hear what their peers do when they have trouble reading, and they can evaluate what has led to success or what they need to improve.  For the teacher this element of sharing is a time of closure and another opportunity for assessment . 

          Chapter eight provides suggestions, opportunities, step-by-step instructions, and charts and forms to be copied by Reading Workshop teachers to assess and evaluate students' reading.  The teacher is given guidelines for observing reading behaviors, use of strategies, comprehension, fluency, and gives plans for instruction and how to take/administer a reading inventory.

          This book was a good resource for me and gave me new insight on The America's Choice Program which is used at one of my schools where I instruct.  Being familiar with the procedures, strategies and plans will hopefully enable me to be a more capable partner in my inclusion classes which are involved in Reader's Workshop.  I should be able to use the strategies, guidelines, and suggestions offered throughout the book with my language students who exhibit  weak or below level reading skills.

  

    Chapter 4 of Revisiting Readers' Workshop emphasizes the teaching of procedures that the students need to understand before feeling successful in the Reading Workshop.  Routines are explained and suggestions made to help the student become comfortable because comfort is conducive to learning.  Examples were presented and time frames for implementing the procedures were given.  A list of recommended books for mini-lessons was a useful tool to include in a teacher's guide.  Even procedures for selecting a book nook was included  and 20 days of mini-lessons were provided.  I liked the strategies offered for choosing a "just right" book. 

     Chapter 5 offered background information on the most important strategies and skills to teach in a reading workshop.  Reading strategies are essential for constructing meaning and and reading skills for understanding the text.   These lessons are to be taught time and time again to be effective.  A step-by- step plan  for instructing strategy and skill was concise, thorough and easy to understand.  The sample reading mini-lessons are well designed and easy to follow.  The suggestions of " it's like listening to the author's whispers" is a melodic way of guiding inference.  The authors show flexibility and allowance for individuality by telling  different ways proficient students "look back" and reflect on a book.  Detailed lesson plans were shown on each of the eight reading strategies to be taught.   A list of recommended books for teaching skills is very helpful for the teacher considering using this method. 

     Chapter 6 explores teaching literary elements and techniques of readers' workshop.  A listing and explanation of mini-lessons on literary elements and ways students can analyze a text was in the book and samples of literary technique mini-lessons that encourage carry-over and application of these techniques to their own writing.

The Reading Workshop Chapters 1-3

      The first chapters of this book by Barbara Orehovec and Marybeth Alley explained the basic elements involved in designing ,organizing and managing a Reading Workshop within the classroom.  The information in these chapters was easy for me to visualize and comprehend since I work as an itenerant  (inclusion) teacher in an America's Choice School where they are presently using this method.  I have experienced these workshops in various grades and levels.  As many times as I have taught in these classes, I had not given much thought to the preparation and organization reqjuired of the classroom teacher.  When America's Choice was implemented at the school, numerous visitors, planners, committee members, literacy coaches, trainers and packets of materials were present.  There were numerous  meetings, workshops conducted so I assumed that the schedules, lesson plans, materials, and organization strategies were provided by the program and the teachers were expected to follow specific instructions and materials to use.  This book helps me realize that the teacher has more choice and responsibility in what s/he teaches and uses for the program.  Better understanding of the organiztion and management of a Reader's Workshop has given me insight on ways that I can help the classroom teacher and be a better "team player" in these classroms. 

      I have witnessed much success with this method but like all techniques and strategies, it isn't the answer for ALL students.  The auditory learner with literary experiences and background thrives in this program.  The kinesthetic, inattentive child with very limited vocabulary does not absorb or profit from all the enrichment intended.

Fish Sticks pages 77-122

This part of the book begins with the 3rd element in obtaining and sustaining the VISION. Ishy tells the group from Good Samaritan that " Find IT and Live IT are critical but without COACHING IT , the vision will not be maintained and will fade. She explains that this part of the recipe for success is important and difficult. In this stage, everyone becomes a coach regardless of age or seniority. It is everyone's duty to keep the vision alive and, it is necessary to commit to listen before deciding whether to accept or reject the coaching. All team members must keep in mind what they are trying to create and support the vision by not being defensive. Giving and accepting coaching exhibits commitment to the vision. Just as Rhonda was beginning to feel better about getting the staff back on track, tragedy struck and the comittment of the staff members to the vision at the hospital carried over into the personal comittment to each other. Everyone had learned to FIND IT, LIVE IT, and now they were maintaining it during the absence of their leader. They devided into three groups on the sixth floor at the hospital of educating themselves further about the vision, sharing what they have learned with others, and inviting others to create vision moments. The group returned to Takara Too to ask Ishy to guide them in sustaining the vision. They were told that their way of sustaining comittment must be created by their own actions and not follow someone else's methods. The needs of the hospital are unique and it was now their challenge to create new ideas and ways to encourage the staff. A Commitment Gate was erected and contests were organized, vision moments were captured in photographs and displayed and coach IT cue cards were printed and distributed. The vision spread from sixth floor to the entire hospital and reportedly is alive and well. This was an inspiring book about teamwork and how much more enjoyable a work experience can be if everyone is on the "same page" with a similar mission and "vision". School is an ideal place to implement these ideas as IT should not be difficult to find for a group of people who love children, who love to learn ,and are expected to make miracles happen everyday. As an educator and an itinerant teacher, I see different visions for different schools depending on the unique characteristics of the institutions makeup. The needs are somewhat different and the methods must vary, but the mission or vision of providing the best education in the most comfortable environment for students is our priority as educators. Our roles are varied, but finding IT is not difficult for me. Living IT and Sustaining IT is much more challenging.

Fish Sticks pages 38-77

     After Rhonda is inspired by Ishy's suggestion at the shushi restaurant, She begins interviewing her colleagues about the vision for the sixth floor and how they feel that it is being maintained.  Rhonda's mission is to find her personal piece (IT) in the goal and how her IT relates to the other staff members' ideas.  Rhonda realizes that she must find ways to replace the dependency on external energy with the natural energy to maintain the vision.  David's Whyte's poetry inspires her to "begin a new life (energy ) at work and was feeling more confident in her position when a new administrator was employed and wanted to implement changes.  Rhonda seeks more advice from Ishy and forms a team of employees to take to the sushi restaurant for information on keeping the vision alive.  Ishy explains how important it is for each member of the team to find his/her (IT) in the vision through conversations and communication. 

     As a communication disorder teacher, I see my (IT) in East Central's mission to be the best place to learn as a provider of  materials, strategies ,and methods and a supporter to help "reach " the speech/language disordered children in the classroom and bring hope into a sometimes frustrating situation.  My role in our mission is also to help each child feel special and give him/her hope to communicate in an easier way. If we improve communication skills and bridge gaps between children and teachers, teachers and parents, and teachers and teachers, our vision will stay alive. 

Fish Sticks pages 1-37

 

          As an educator serving in many different positions for almost 40 years, I have experienced changes in administrations, administrators, methods, strategies, tactics, environments ( physical and intellectual) and have come to the conclusion that it is human nature to resist or become less motivated about change unless the person has an instigating role in the change (or if it happens to be his/her vision). I have been on both sides of these new innovative moves.  Some changes I have embraced with gusto, others resisted, and most have  observed or endured believing that in the not too distant future , the pendulum would swing and everything would return to the status quo.  The messages in these first few pages have made me realize that we are all basically alike and gravitate to the more comfortable , familiar way of doing things even if the new ideas are better.  We have a tendancy to be skeptical of that which is not familiar to us.  It is the difference in personalities and leadership ability that allows "visions" to be tried and to sustain the momentum  of the program.  The varied experiential backgrounds of coworkers and personnel must be carefully considered when implementing a move in which they are not given a chance to help design or feel some "ownership " of the VISION. As an educator, business partner, or coworker, it is much easier to inspire and motivate when the other person has a stake in the plan, but difficult to maintain that energy as the "newness" wears off and those less enthusiastic settle back into the more familiar less energy demanding ways.  I'm looking forward to reading the next assignment to provide concrete examples to help me deal with changes in a more positive way and inspire me to go forward with my "visions" and guide me in implementing and sustaining them both in and out of the classroom setting.

CRAFT LESSONS: pages 29-43

     Craft lessons for K-2 writing were continued on pages 29-43.  These lessons discussed the elements : "Writing a Strong Lead", Flushing Out Sketchy Writing by Cutting and Pasting", "Time Transitions", " Using Talk Bubbles", "New Ways to Write About an Old Topic", ' Choosing and Describing the Setting", " Staying On the Topic ", "Cause and Effect", "Discription of a Character", "Writing through a Mask", designing patterns and a shape for a story by repetition of words,phrases or sentences, and surprise endings.

      All of these elements of writing skills are difficult for language delayed or disordered students and the simple,concise methods offered by the authors are helpful and functional.  I appreciate having the resources listed with the lesson and the specific examples offered.  Manipulating the texts by cutting and pasting will be motivating for my visual,kinesthetic students and is a beneficial way to reinforce sequencing skills.  My stutterers are more verbally fluent when speaking through a mask so it stands to reason that some children will write more fluently when using these techniques.  Determining a setting and describing it using details expands vocabulary and will provide practice for all SI students whose IEP objectives address weak semantic skills.  

Craft Lessons pages 15-29

       The pages 15-29 in Craft Lessons explain and define what is expressed as "writing" from K-2 students.  The authors lead us through explicit step-by-step lesson plans that teach the elements of craft.  These pages help reinforce ways to encourage and develop writing fluency with many strategies that we are now using but not categorizing as "crafting" writing skills.  The lessons are specific and simple to follow and the authors provide the resources and list the materials needed to teach the lesson.  Step-by-step instructions shown by example help teachers understand how and why to teach every element of craft to students on a K-2 level. Teachers gain a better understanding of what to expect of K-2 students from the examples in the lessons.

       I especially related to "Nudging Students to Move Beyond List and Love Stories " because many of my language disordered/delayed students are working on using  answering the  "WH" questions correctly and relevantly. These children are required to expand their oral sentences and compose longer oral presentations by answering questions.  The student can transfer his/her comments to paper and become a more proficient writer as well as speaker.

Craft Lessons

As a speech/language pathologist, I am closely involved with the strategies and methods used for improving writing skills.  My language disabled children do not grasp language concepts readily and I am always open to new methods and ideas and anxious to try different ways to help them.  I appreciated the thoughts of the authors and identified with their mission to search for proven ways to improve students' writing and to communicate thoughts more concisely. My objective is to help the SI students express thoughts both orally and in writing on an  appropriate age/grade level.  This book will be very beneficial as I work with all grade levels Pre-k - 6th and will understand general guidelines of what is acceptable for my students in the classroom.  Since my time is limited with the students, I have to rely on the classroom teacher to provide the time to form the ideas (conceive) and see my role as dealing with the "middle element " as the authors refer to the crafting process.  This includes sequencing, spelling, organizing ,questioning, and rereading to craft the text.

          The speaking, reading and writing skills are blended nicely through the ideas in this book, and I look forward to reading more of it and trying the projects with my language students both in the resource room and through inclusion in the regular education classroom.