Literacy Share Final Report

The purpose of this study group was for the members of the group to share ideas and research so that we can provide instruction that improves student motivation and achievement.

After our meetings and discussions, the outcomes of our study group include the following-

What participants have done differently in their classroom:

- I have added a more formal literature group during my reading block. I now have specific jobs that each student has in their group. I introduced this by everyone reading the same chapter and then taught them the jobs. Then the next chapter book I assigned was grouped this time by ability. They have more time to share verbally what they have read and they have a writing component.

- In my classroom I have incorporated many ideas we discussed in our study group. Some of these ideas included the websites we discussed during our technology session as well as many of the suggestions about what literacy centers work.

- I have:
* added different websites in my repertoire of computer activities they can choose from
* creating and adding ways to keep better anecdotal notes on students writing and reading
* included more reading aloud to students

- Meeting with this group has really changed the way that I view the reading block and center time. From my discussions with the group, I have realized the importance of the children having plenty of time to read, instead of doing "busy" work. I still have centers that I think are important and reinforce my instruction, but I've also incorporated time to read chapter books. I meet with my reading groups and discuss the chapter book they are reading. Eventually I'd like to incorporate Literature Circles, but that will come in time.

Effect on student achievement:

- My students are becoming more independant and enjoy the chapter books that I have selected.

- My students seem to be more engaged at literacy center time and I think they are more beneficial to them. It no longer seems a waste of time. I also think that with the new technology generation it is important to keep the kids up to date on educational websites that can give them more practice or reinforce what was taught in my lessons.

-I am not sure it has had a direct impact on my population as of yet. It was great to be able to hear what general education students are capable of and also those that are lower, but not classified. I was able to put some expectations into perspective for me. It gave me a clearer idea of where students should or could be functioning. It will also give my mini-lessons direction as I am keeping better notes on their needs and strengths.

- I seem to have more and more students that enjoy reading. In reading groups we choose books that seem to peak their interest. When they have independent reading time, the children are choosing chapter books that they sit down and read. My students have seemed to make great strides in their reading. When we had the 25-week DRA's, I was pleasantly surprised that all of my students were at benchmark. I'm thinking that my change in activity/philosophy has contributed to this.

What other educators can take away:

- I think my other educators took away at least 20 web sites that coinside with target reading skills, and other subject areas.

- Teachers learn so much from each other and throughout this study group I have learned so many ideas and suggestions that other teachers use. I have tried to visit their rooms to see how things work. I think sharing with each other gives people a sense of accomplishment and pride. It also gives many people adult time and time to reflect on what they are doing.

- As I stated above, it was great to hear what general ed. teachers are doing in their rooms with higher students and with their students who are struggling. From the group, I have brought back to my classroom some ideas and new insight in how to run small reading and writing groups. It also gave me new ideas for doing authentic writing with my 2nd grade students.

- Hopefully other educators can take some of our ideas and incorporate them into their classroom. The sharing of ideas seemed to be very beneficial for all this study group's participants. We have all noticed changes in our students and in our own teaching.

March Share

The focus of our final share was using data to drive our literacy instruction. We discussed the use of the following assessments:
- Dibels: NWF (how many nonsense words/sounds student can say in one minute); ORF (how
many words student can read correctly in one minute)
- DRA: assesses student reading level (comprehension and fluency)
- Running records: use to make sure students are in proper placement for guided reading
- Benchmarks: our school gives benchmarks every five weeks; use data to help drive literacy
instruction
- Writing and Reading Conferences: used to guide minilessons, conferences, guided
reading/writing groups
- I.E.P. goals and objectives: used to guide literacy instruction
- Read Naturally: used to assist with students with reading fluently

February Share

The focus of this month's literacy share was connecting technology into our literacy instruction. We discussed the use of the Internet during center time. Here are some of the sites that we use:
- Syllable Factory: BBC Syllable Games (breaking up words into chunks of sound)
www.bbc.co/uk
- Homophone games: QUIA (matching, word search, flashcards, concentration)
http://www.quia.com/
- Spelling City: word work, phonics work
http://www.spellingcity.com/
- Puzzlemaker: make word searches, crossword puzzles, mazes, cryptograms
puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/
- Flashcard Machine: can use this site to create flashcards for word work, vocabulary, etc.
http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
- Eduplace: can play games related to Houghton Mifflin reading series, learn about authors, etc.
http://www.eduplace.com/

We also discussed the use of Read Naturally (fluency), Destination Reading (goes with Houghton Mifflin series), webquests, Smartboards, and Kidspiration for literacy instruction.

January Share

The focus of this month's share was responding to literature in an authentic way. This meeting was one that stirred up a lot of debate as to what "authentic" means. We debated for a long time whether or not the student working on a form of response that was assigned by the teacher is authentic. Does the teacher leave it completely up to the student as to how to respond to his reading? Does the teacher have a bank of choices for responses and the student chooses which he wants to do? If this is done, is this an "authentic" response? We were not able to come to a consensus. We consulted Fountas and Pinnell and their ideas for responses included:
- notes
- lists
- sketches
- short writes
- letter
- diary entry
- summary
The responses should be things that the students will use in real life. They should also include the student sharing what he really thinks.

December Share

The focus of this month's literacy share was incorporating storytelling into writers workshop and interactive read alouds.

Storytelling: Storytelling is a great way to get kids thinking about stories to write during writer’s workshop. Teacher styles of how storytelling is conducted in their classroom.
· Sequencing cards (start simple and expand to elaborate)
· Turn and talk process- tell a story to a partner and then switch
Listener: listens throughout the whole story and then comments to one or two things after
the teller is completed. Teller: tells a story.
· Two circles- outer circle tells a story and the inner circle listens. Then the outer circle slides
in one direction and tells the story again. This helps with students adding more details.

Interactive Read Aloud: Is interactive read aloud the same as read aloud? In both the reader and listener are actively engaged.

Interactive Read Aloud and how it works
*Can give a question at the start of read aloud- not always done this way
1. Text geared towards a specific skill
2. Stop at a specific time
3. Turn and talk
4. Share quickly- a couple quick comments (keep to the point and on task)
5. Teacher continues reading
6. Repeat steps 2-6 until end of lesson

Purpose of Interactive Read Aloud is to have more of a student lead discussion as oppose to the teacher always speaking. Sharing together as oppose to one or two students giving an answer.

November Share

The focus of this month's literacy share was conferencing with students in the reading and writing workshops.
Reading conferences:
- On books at child's independent reading level.
- Meet with each child once per six day cycle or once per 5-day week.
- Keep checklist/records of each meeting with each child.
- Listen to child read; take notes about expression and errors.
- The conference can be about reading strategies and reading comprehension.
- Can use the reading checklist that is in Guiding Readers and Writers Grade 3-6 Teaching Comprehension, Gerne, and Content Literacy by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell.
Writing conferences:
- Roving conferences: teacher goes to each student's desk and "checks in" with him/her. The teacher can begin by asking, "What are you working on as a writer today?" The child shares his writing. The teacher gives a praise point and then a teaching point. The teaching point should be related to the subject of the minilesson for that day's writers workshop. The teacher then moves on to another student's desk. Roving conferences aren't as in-depth as conferences that the teacher conducts at a set spot (a table, the teacher's desk, etc.)
- Conferences: the teacher calls a student over to a set spot (like above) and again asks what the students is working on as a writer. This conference is more in-depth than a roving conference. The teacher should still include a praise point and a teaching point, but should delve more deeply into what the student is doing as a writer in relation to that day's minilesson. The conference can focus on both craft and convention.

October Share

The topic of this month's meeting was the implementation of effective literacy centers. In the second and third grade the focus of literacy centers is on the Fab 4: phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The centers are not to teach new material, but to reinforce concepts that have already been taught. The centers can include the following:

- Reading Comprehension: read books at independent level; retell the story to a friend; respond to reading passages; buddy reading; listen to books on tape/CD; the use of who, what, where, why, how questions; story quests (exploring for information within the Houghton Mifflin anthology story that was read with the entire class).

- Phonics: can include word sorts and word building; computer sites to further reinforce phonics skills that were taught in class.

- Fluency: readers theater; timed fluency passages; rereading of text (guided reading, anthology story, etc.); buddy reading; Read Naturally; Dolch words; Dolch phrases.

-Vocabulary: building of high frequency vocabulary words; matching story vocabulary words, pictures, and definitions; Eduplace vocabulary games.

The teacher can also incorporate a writing center in which the children write about their reading. When students are at an appropriate reading level they can also meet in literacy circles.

Members

Deb Berghorn - Special Education Teacher
Kelly Simmons - 3rd Grade Teacher
Natalia Conaty - 3rd Grade Teacher
Michele Hammond - 2nd Grade Teacher