[MOSAIC] dra ...a bit off the beaten path

[ljackson]

I think we need to teach retelling.  The work of Hazel Brown and Brian
Cambourne long since convinced me of this.

As to story elements, someone (and it could be a Someone or a someone) said
that today's learning is tomorrow's schema.  To me that implies a need for
consistent, well-planned direct instruction (no capital letters there!!) to
build that schema base.  As a teacher of literacy, story grammar is part of
the curriculum I hold myself accountable for teaching.  I am passionate
about strategy instruction, but it is not the end-all, be-all for literacy
learning.  It certainly assumes that other kinds of instruction is
happening. Please don't think I don't appreciate and, to an extent, share
your concerns.  

Lori


On 11/27/07 10:25 PM, "Kukonis at aol.com" <Kukonis at aol.com> wrote:

> Moving on to schema  unit in Comprehension Connections has  really got me
> thinking about how many assumptions are made in terms of kids'  prior
> knowledge..... I know I started threads on
> retelling before but..... as I reviewed my first grade DRA's taken in
> October I noted how many teacher prompts I needed to give most kids in terms
> of  the 
> comprehension section. Seems to me the DRA itself, and its makers, assume
> that kids know how to retell....
>  
> Now, I am expecting posts back about how retelling is a lower level
> comprehension strategy... a rehashing of the author's words.... but really the
> more I 
> teach through retelling..... as a unit of comprehension itself ...the  more I
> learn about gaps in kids' experiences with texts....the way they  internalize
> author's words in their heads
>  
> In my opinion, retelling  is an intricate and symbolic cognitive  process....
> kids need schema for story elements, story genre, story maps,  thinking
> forward and thinking back, and God forbid they make it to a level where  they
> write 
> their responses... then kids need to process all that thought  into written
> format (which is a whole other multi-step ball of wax)
>  
> The point? Maybe before the DRA assessment and before any teaching of
> comprehension strategies.... there should be more immersion in story  and
> grand  
> conversations (the  "what do you notice" kind)
> Maybe then retelling should be taught as extensively as connections,
> visualizing, determining and so on....
>  
> I am wondering if retelling and following directions are closely related...
> so many of my first grade dilemmas are  because kids do something that  seems
> like they are not listening to directions but now I am thinking that if  asked
> to retell the directions ...the directions they internalize would be a far
> cry from my intentions. I am also thinking about developmental stages ... do
> we 
>  teach into retelling or let it evolve with maturity????
>  
> These types of ponderings bring me back to teaching methods... more  concrete
> modeling... less written and abstract work....more reading and less  written
> templates....
>  
> Just some thoughts before bed... what do you all think????
>  
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Lori Jackson
District Literacy Coach & Mentor
Todd County School District
Box 87
Mission SD  57555
 
http:www.tcsdk12.org
ph. 605.856.2211


Literacies for All Summer Institute
July 17-20. 2008
Tucson, Arizona