[MOSAIC] time to check in

[Laura Hack]

Ginger,
I get so inspired by your insight.  I am truly rethinking my position
as an administrator.  My superintendent came for his quarterly meeting
and, of course, the ONLY topic was our testing scores.  When I hear, and
see, the power that we have as teachers to make each and every
experience one that is enlightening for students, I wonder why are more
teachers not tuned in to what we have here on this site?  We are so test
driven that we are missing the journey along the way with these young
people who look to us for guidance and security.  It is so much more
than how one child (or school) scored on one test on one particular day.
 Some one please help me better understand how I can convey this to my
superintendent and continue modeling good reading and writing
strategies.  
Today, I would love nothing more that to take 30 second grade students
and ready Fly Away Home and have a deep conversation about the
meaning....which is more than I had with my boss about testing.  I wold
love to work with 6th graders reading a poem and asking for their
reaction and seeing the fire in their eyes as they make a connection.  I
yearn for the chance to ask students to ask questions and make
predictions based on their knowledge.  I guess I really do need to
rethink why I am here and where should I go next........  Funny how
comprehension strategies turn into life guiding strategies.  Hadn't
thought about them that way before.............another reason to keep
encouraging them.

Laura




>>> "ginger/rob" <read.think at sbcglobal.net> 1/28/2007 4:05 PM >>>
I've been missing the classroom strategy talk.  I know I could sure use
a 
boost right about now.  How about we each think of something we could
share 
from our strategy instruction.  It doesn't have to be a big deal. Just
check 
in by telling us what you've been doing with your students.

I'll go first.

As I wrote not long ago, I'm working on inferring in fiction.  We've
moved 
to connected text after inferring through two wordless books (Good Dog
Carl, 
and The Red Book).  I chose Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting as our anchor

piece.  The talk has been pretty good.  Lots of misconceptions though.
Like: 
"Why can't they just get on a plane and go somewhere else to a new
house?" 
Other kids brought reality to the situation by saying how houses cost a

really lot of money. "Maybe they are just waiting there for a new house
to 
be built to live in."  Again, some shared that it takes money to buy a
new 
house and, we clarified using the evidence in the text, that they
obviously 
don't have much money. We also did a lot of talking about how
fortunate we are in our community because we all do have homes. 
(Suburb of 
Chicago)

They became very interested in learning what the little boy does while
his 
father is off at work.  I tend to stop at those crucial thinking points
and 
really take the time to think about it (visualize, wonder, predict)
before 
reading on. It hooks them deeper to the issues in the book.  Later as
we 
read on, they inferred the two boys helping the travelers by carrying
the
luggage and calling cabs is pretty "grown up" for their ages.  Seeing
how 
the boys in the story are even younger than my second graders. One
student 
predicted that the little boy is probably saving his money to help the
dad. 
That will be confirmed when we read on this week.

The part in the story about the trapped bird and how it got out and was
free 
was a great place to infer.  Not many reached deep enough but a few did
and 
once they shared their thinking ("The boy knows the bird was not
supposed to
live in the airport just like he is not supposed to live there." "When
the 
bird got out to go a bird home, the boy knew he could one day get out
to go 
to a real house again." "It gave the boy hope for himself.") we did
another 
turn and talk. I love when that happens.  The most amazing thinking can
come 
out of one little mouth that is PERFECT for doing another turn and talk
to 
go deeper. I might say, "Oh wow!  Did you hear what Emily just said?
She 
said: 'It gave the boy hope for himself.'  Turn and talk about what you

think Emily means!"  I feel like cheering when I hear that deep
inferring.

I brought in both fiction picture books and easier nonfiction books on

homelessness and shelters.  My kids can choose these during independent

reading first thing in the morning.  They are very fascinated by the
books. 
I like to link to a social issue with my text choices if I can.  I find
that 
when I can bring out empathy and compassion for others then our own
learning 
community grows tighter.

I'm really trying to help my kids recognize (with their little
metacognitive 
voice inside/that "signal" that goes off when there is thinking) the
places 
in their books where they should stop and infer what the author really

means. Rather than just reading on. I do a lot of modeling of this when
I am 
reading to them.

I have a group of my higher readers reading in picture books where they
are 
charged with sticky noting a place where they "caught themselves"
inferring. 
We'll see how that is going this week.  They've been working on this
alone 
first and then I will put them into their like groups (I went to the
public 
library and pulled picture books that seemed deeper that had three
copies of 
the text) to share with each other where they inferred.  I am also
working 
on inferring the overarching theme in this strategy study whole group.

O.k. I hope you guys will all think of something you've been doing with
your 
students to share with the group.  After all, remember, that is why we

started this listserv. To talk about our comprehension teaching. To
share 
and be supportive and encouraging of each other.

Jump right in!
Ginger
moderator
grade 2



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