My Summer Book Study, The Book Whisperer

Hello All,

I'm probably behind the rest of you about reading this book. I have heard good things about it but had never read it. So, this summer I decided to get it and read through it.

It seems that many of our economically disadvantaged students start off below what is expected with language skills and they keep struggling no matter the intervention or instruction they get. So, what is it that will help close this gap. I am not sure that this book is the answer but I don't think it could hurt.

Here's one quote from the book I saw on goodreads. It makes sense and I am hopeful for what I will learn and be inspired by reading this book.

“I need to put forward more encouraging terms for my students than the negative popular terminology struggling and reluctant. Where is the hope in these terms? I prefer to use positive language to identify the readers in my classes. Peeking into my classroom, I see sixty different readers with individual reading preferences and abilities, but I consistently recognize three trends: developing readers, dormant readers, and underground readers.” 
― Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

So, have you read the book?  Share your thoughts whether you have read it or not in the comments. I would love to discuss it with you.

Have a great day!
Ms. Fran

The Together Teacher Book Study

Hello,

So, what do you think? Are you a together teacher? I know I am in some ways but not all.  So, I'm reading through this book given to us for Teacher Appreciation Week from our Principal. It's called The Together Teacher by Maia Heyck-Merlin.

Click the book and be taken to Amazon where you can get it for $14.00!!

The subtitle is: Plan Ahead, Get Organized, and Save Time! Now who doesn't want to do all of that, right?  So, as I read through the book I thought I would share with you my thoughts and any "goodies" I make to use the ideas in the book. If you have or get the book and want to join me that would be fantastic!

First I wanted to share this website that I think is free to everyone where you can take a course on the calendar part of the book. It was really helpful to me and you might want to go through it.

This is the site about the book with lots of resources  http://www.thetogethergroup.com/ 

Then this is the link to the Course.

So, I'll leave you with that to get you started with the idea and see if you want to join me on this journey.

Take care,

Ms. Franciso

#SBS14 Chapters 3 and 4

Hello All,

Sorry I am a little behind on posting about the Book Study on the Book, Making the Most of Small Group Instruction: Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. I'm in Illinois as my Mom was supposed to have surgery. They just postponed it until next Monday, July 7, 2014.

So, let's get started. I have to say that I am really enjoying this book. Chapter 3 was about Grouping. This is very important.  Key points about forming your small groups:

• Use anecdotal notes to help create groups
• Use formal and informal assessments combined with anecdotal notes and observation 
• Listen to students read in formal and informal settings

I am really interested in what we will use for testing and progress monitoring next year with the new Journeys reading series.  I really want to track this so I know how my students are progressing and try to find ways to fill in any gaps they may have.

Guidelines for Managing Formal Testing

• Wait a few weeks if possible
• Do the "easy" testing first -- starts with students you think will do well may make it go a little faster
• Engage students in fun activities that require little supervision while you test the other students
• Write about or draw their favorite things to do, their family, etc.
• Let them play with play dough on individual mats -- spell their names and other words.
• Give them stencils or patterns to make their own creation
• Give them a "back to school" packet with easys fun-to-do review sheets
• Read books independently or with a buddy (use guest readers such a parents or grandparents)

The next section was Managing Anecdotal notes. There are so many options here. I am going to try the notecards suggestion. I bought colored 4 x 6 notecards. I am going to put them out in front of each student like she suggestions. Then as I listen to each student read I will be able to jot down quick notes and they will be handy right there.  I bought a file box to keep them in my small group teaching area.

I really like her idea for a "flexible flexible groups folder" I really plan to use that with the sticky notes and color coded of course so they are easy to move around and switch groups easily, hence the flexible flexible connotation. 

There's so much important information in this chapter.  She also talks about how many groups and how long you should meet with each group.  The suggestion is 2 groups a day (3 if you can work it in). Each group need only be about 20 minutes. If you're doing kindergarten groups they could be only 15 minutes. She suggests you meet with your students who struggle most every day. Every day may actually be only 4 days as typically Fridays are for assessment. Then you need to gage how many days you need to meet with the other groups.  To keep track of lessons she suggests using a small-group lesson-planning notebook which was described in Chapter 2. I definitely suggest this and plan to do this as well.

Chapter 4 -- Comprehension

Another Chapter with some great information. Comprehension is understanding. As we all know sometimes kids can decode better than some but they lack understanding. They don't comprehend. But what is reading without comprehension? So, it is imperative that we help our students learn skills and strategies that will help them comprehend because really without comprehension you have no purpose for reading. Everyone needs to meet in small groups to learn comprehension. If they are comprehending they need to learn how to go deeper.

What's great about this Chapter is all the sample lessons for many areas of comprehension. She gives great tips about choosing materials. If you can choose books based on student's interests and backgrounds it helps comprehension.  Which would you rather read a book about something you're interested in or a manual for how to operate a toaster? She suggests using both fiction and nonfiction.

There are lessons about:

• Text Structure
• Monitoring for Comprehension
• Schema/Characters We Know
• Usisng Graphic Organizers
• Asking Questions
• Visualizing

One thing that seems really helpful is this chart she has for Prompts for Comprehension. If a student gets stuck you could have a response to help them think rather than giving answers. I liked this chart and wanted to have it readily available so I made one to have handy at my table and when I am lesson planning.

 

Okay, I give, I can't get that picture to link for me so here's the link to get this document.

Comprehension Prompts

I also liked the lesson plan but because it has no disk with it you would have to hand-write them. I try to avoid that at all costs.  So, I typed it up.  All rights go to Debbie Diller. Please do not remove that from the lesson plan.

Here is a link to the typed up lesson plan:

Small Group Lesson Plan

I also liked the section on questions for deeper understanding.  She mentions thick and thin questions. I have used this before.  Here's a link to Pinterest on this very subject!

Thick and Thin Questions

I'm going to do more research. Maybe I'll have a freebie for you on this at some point.

I have been so wordy and I am not even sure I did these chapters justice. I am excited to put all of these things into practice this new school year.  

What are things you doing to help your students comprehend? What do you do to manage small groups and forming them?  How do you keep records?  I would love to hear your comments.

Please share!

Thanks,

Dina

Chapters 1 and 2 - Making the Most of Small Groups~ Differentiation for All

Hello All,

As I previously posted. I'm doing a Summer Book Study on the book Making the Most of Small Groups~ Differentiation for All by Debbie Diller. The Book Study is being coordinated by Mrs. Sameulson's Swamp Frogs. Click the name to go to her blog.  We're discussing the first two chapters.  Here's my take on the first two chapters.  I hope you can find something useful.

I am really enjoying this book. I look forward to hearing what others have to say as well. I have made a mock schedule after reading Chapter 1. Last year I only taught Math and Science and I switched classes with a team teacher who taught the RLA/SS. This year I will be teaching all subjects. I am not exactly sure about times as we are changing our start time so I am not exactly sure what time our lunch and support will be. I guessed. So, it might have to be adjusted. I do know however how much time they take up. I am excited with this schedule as I found time for individual conferences for reading as well as a separate writing time. I am attaching my mocked up schedule in case you want to see it.

I also made an instructional planning sheet to help me make sure I am being proactive in all parts of my ELA time. This is to just get me organized and stay on track. It is not a lesson planning sheet.

So, I guess you will say that these are my "takes" from Chapter 1. I need to make sure i have time to "get everything" in and I know myself I need to be organized and stay on track and it is my hope that the planning sheet will help me do that.

Chapter 2 really helped me to think through what I need to do to get organized. I have made a list of tings I need to do/get based on information in Chapter 2.

I I need a 4 drawer bin for the materials for each group near my teaching table.

I am going to color code my groups just so it's visual for me and my students.

I need to make or look for a sign that indicates or actually says "DO NOT DISTURB" as a reminder to students that we are not to interrupt the small group time.

I am going to set up a Small Group Binder to keep running records and current anecdotal records for each student in the group folder. I also may have a section for each student. We'll see how that goes. I am going to try the 4x6 notecards first and if that doesn't work I might try notebook pages....that's a trial and error kind of thing for me.

I need to stock up on post it notes and do an interactive modeling lesson on how to use the post-it notes during reading to help them learn how to "think" while they are reading (there is more on this in Chapter 4).

I need separate small group lesson plans from the weekly lesson plans. I need a reflection section on my lesson plans to keep notes.

Make sure my teaching table is where I can see the whole room.

Then of course I have a whole list of supplies I need: magnetic white boards and lowercase magnetic letters.

I really have enjoyed the book so far. I hope I haven't shared too much.

Thanks for reading!

Dina

Here's my two add-ons that I created you might find useful.

Instructional Planning Sheet

2nd Grade Schedule