[MOSAIC] inferring books/more/long

[ginger/rob]

I really don't think it matters what exact book you hand your students to do 
the inferring work as long as there is some meat to the books.  I just 
honestly stand in the stacks at our public library and look at the spines of 
the picture books until I see three copies and then I pull one out and skim 
it.  If it looks "deeper" then I read it and make my decision.  The books I 
picked for this round are: Amazing Grace, The Raft, I Love Saturday (not the 
deepest book).  I also selected Shrinking Violet, Smokey Night, and Some 
Frog (more like a short chapter book) to use if we do another round of this 
work.  I will give the kids a short book talk on the other books and let 
them choose which group they want to be in.

As far as the places where they should stop to infer.......... I really 
think that all depends on the book, the child's schema, and the groups 
combined thinking.  I don't have all the stopping places figured out ahead 
of time nor would I ever do that.  I don't think that is necessary.  For me, 
it is more about THEM realizing that there is deeper thinking to be done and 
that they should be on the lookout for those places as they are reading. 
Always listening for that inner voice that should be talking to them AS they 
are reading.  Not just hearing that voice, but doing something about it when 
they hear it.

While I obviously realize that there are levels of inferring that range from 
surface inferences that happen along the way, to overarching themes that 
they must keep track of as they are reading (requires stamina), for me, 
right now at least, if they can monitor themselves AS they are reading to 
"catch" those inferential places provided by the author, and they stop and 
think deeper (infer/ponder), then we are getting somewhere!!!

Last night after my email came through the list and I reread it, I 
wondered.... am I making too big of a deal about this?  I mean in the past, 
I taught inferring (after I FINALLY figured out how to teach it so they 
could "get it") and then we'd do many text pieces together (inferring at 
those perfect places) and then I'd give them a common text piece to try it 
in small groups and then I'd move them to partners and then on to marking 
their own inferences during independent reading on self selected text.  I'd 
check in with them of course at that point during reading conferences or I'd 
collect their sticky notes and see there inferences, but I don't really 
think I did justice in my instruction on how to pay attention to WHEN/WHERE 
they "should" infer.  So while part of me thinks this little inferring study 
I'm trying (in this way) for the first time is a bit anal (does that 
surprise those of you who 'know' me???), it does feel much more explicit. 
Plus these are second graders (my prior experience has been with 3rd and 4th 
graders).  I have to keep talking to myself about this.  I hope what I am 
doing is scaffolding them??????  The end result is hopefully going to be 
kids who will have an ear to hear those inferential parts in text and who 
will stop and THINK AS they are reading.

I also know I am just doing this with 9 kids out of my 23.  I can see these 
9 kids taking the teaching role and sharing how they worked through their 
books in this way with the rest of the class.  I'm going to try that next 
week.

Writing all this out here is really helping me. I know I write long when I 
write but it's like processing out loud.  I think more of you guys should 
try it.
I know I learn a lot from "listening in" to your thinking.
Ginger
moderator
grade 2