[MOSAIC] (mosaic) fitting it all in

[RICHARD THEXTON]

We adopted HM last year and our teachers are also "mandated" to use it.  I have several frustrations as literacy coach and trained Reading Recovery teacher.  1st of all, No basal package can meet the needs of all of the children.  Dr. J. David Cooper, senior editor of HM said that himself (he contracted with our district for 2 years and worked directly with LC's)  2nd of all, the HM comp. strategies are not the same as the one's listed in our curriculum.  I believe we should teach the curriculum, using the reading series, if we are REQUIRED to use one, as a resource.    We realize that we have to supplement using other read alouds and much more thinking aloud of our thinking in order for students to grasp the comp. strategies.  Also, we have to supplement with Guided Reading Groups because most students cannot read the story in the basal independently.  (another quote by Dr. Cooper)  We are using the basal to expose them to grade level text, but teaching them to read in GR
 groups.  
  Dr. Cooper also said that no one should use ALL of the stuff in the TE, just pick and choose what is best for your class.
  Let me know if you hear about the Yahoo group for HM teachers.  Another good resource is Santee, California School District website.  Don't have it bookmarked here, will try to find it at school and forward it to you.
  Good Luck!
  Kelli Thexton
  Literacy Coach
  Westside Elementary
  Rogers, AR  USA

Lynn Beck <becklynn at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
  Hi,
I'm back to a second grade classroom after a year teaching 
kindergarten and then a year teaching math 1st-6th. This is the first 
year that I've been mandated to teach all of the Houghton Mifflin 
curriculum. I feel like a member of an underground resistance 
fighting a war against skills only instruction. I trying to use 
strategies that I've learned through Mosaic of Thought, Reaming with 
Meaning and now The Daily Five, and yet follow the mandates of my 
district.

How do the rest of you fit in all the skills "stuff" while still 
teaching the thinking and reasoning strategies?
Lynn

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