[MOSAIC] attention span

[Valinda Kimmel]

Carrie,
  The Daily Five by Boushey and Moser has a passage on helping kids build stamina.  The authors share how they worked with a kindergarten class starting with only a minute a day (helping kids to maintain focus during independent reading) building up to 10 minutes in a little over a week.
 I can imagine that the same type of "stamina building" practice could work for helping second graders increase their ability to pay attention during group work and read-alouds.
Hope you can get a copy of The Daily Five.  I found it extremely helpful.

Valinda Kimmel
Educational Consultant

>>> jenniferlortz at mac.com 11/15/06 07:16PM >>>
You know you have their chronological age +1 minute for attn. span on  
one given sitting time...So, for example, mini lessons that need to  
be 10-15 minutes I try to break them up with thinking breaks asking  
them to turn to their "elbow partners"  and tell one thing they  
connected with (just an example)...but then for the independent  
reading time, that has to be worked up to at young ages.  IMHO, you  
should be able to get about 15-20 minutes of independent reading time  
with an activity--i.e. writing in their response notebooks about what  
they're reading etc...2nd graders are still building those skills of  
reading for long periods of time, and they need to be taught that  
that is sacred--nothing else can be done during this time.  Some  
colleagues and I were discussing today the importance of interest as  
a huge component of attention span in reading.  I've always found  
that books they're going to enjoy at their independent reading level  
have to come from their choice--give a few for them to choose from-- 
everyone, including myself, has a preference, and to sit and really  
read, I have to enjoy what I'm reading....just some thoughts.

Jenn/GA/1st--former Literacy Coach
On Nov 15, 2006, at 11:31 AM, Carrie Cahill wrote:

> Does anyone out there have any suggestions for helping 2nd graders
> develop longer attention spans for group work and read alouds?  I feel
> confident that the books I'm choosing have meaty and interesting  
> content
> for the students, but I still feel the attention of some is so  
> short!  I
> know Ellin Keene talked in MOT about engaging the students - and the
> fact that they need to be aware of the NEED to be engaged.  Maybe  
> that's
> the problem - they don't know they even need to be engaged?
>
>
>
> Carrie: K-8
>
>
>
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