[MOSAIC] (no subject)

[Michelle Smith]

Hi all,
My name is Michelle Smith and I have just joined this listserv.  I  
have been on the 4blocks and 1st grade lists at teachersnet for a few  
years.  Currently I am teaching 1st grade in CA .  My entire class is  
made up of English Learners.  Here is my problem.  I have to do Open  
Court Reading, as written in the manuals.  We are a Reading First  
school and are carefully watched to see that we are doing the program  
as written.  I have been very unhappy with the comprehension of my  
students and really want to focus on more in depth strategy  
instruction instead of the somewhat scattered and unfocused approach  
in Open Court.   My question is this.  Has anybody successfully  
implemented strategy instruction (Mosaic and Reading with Meaning)  
while doing Open Court?  I am thinking that much of my strategy  
instruction and modeling will have to be done during my 10-15 min.  
read alouds and 1/2 hour  workshop(Open Court's small group and  
individualized instruction time).  I plan on starting with Making  
Connections?  Does this sound reasonable?  I will be able to use some  
of the selections from Open Court too but they jump around from  
strategy to strategy depending on the unit.  Right now I am going  
reread Mosaic to refresh my memory since I read it several years ago  
and then plan on reading Reading With Meaning.  Any thoughts our  
ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Michelle