Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Rigorous Reading and the Vocabulary Notebook

This EXCELLENT book was the focus of my book club study last month.  The writing team of Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher wrote this one.  In this book they outline 5 access points that lead to a deeper, more critical understanding of complex text.  
We all loved how practical this book was and we are finding it easy to apply these key  ideas in our own classrooms. 
Image result for rigorous reading
Frey and Fisher have included QR Codes that link directly to an internet site for video clips of teachers using these strategies in real classrooms.  Although it was geared to those teaching Common Core Standards, we all found it applied well to the more rigorous Virginia Reading SOL expectations.
I'll be blogging in more detail about the ideas introduced in this book.   So check back!
Frey and Fisher caution teachers not to just use quantitative factors (Reading Level) when reviewing a text for use.  They suggest we assess a text's qualitative factors as well.  These include a text's purpose, structure, language conventions and knowledge demands.  One of these qualitative aspects that makes text rigorous is vocabulary knowledge.

We have spent considerable time working on monitoring for meaning in my third grade class. Students need to be held accountable for thinking as they read...no more word plowing, as we like to call it. You know, pushing through the story, calling words but not understanding any of it. 

We monitor for meaning using the terms "Click and Clunk".  Clicking means students are getting what they read and it makes sense to them.  



Clunking means they don't get it....the text is not making sense.  Good readers don't keep plowing through the words if they clunk.  They do something about it. They use some sort of fix up strategy.  
I'm finding more and more that sometimes students clunk because they don't understand the words.  Our English Language Learner group is growing and limited word knowledge is getting in the way of their academic success. 

We work on vocabulary daily.  Here is the Vocabulary Vault that hangs near by shared reading space. This picture was taken early in the year, when we just started our collection.  Now, our vault contains many more words.  My students are always on the lookout for "pizazzy" words. We will stop as I read aloud to them to word solve a meaning of an unknown word and then add it to a post it note and stick it in the vault.  Students refer to this wall chart all the time. 
Another way we tend to vocabulary, is more formally, with our vocabulary notebooks. 
Prior to a whole group or shared reading, I will present a couple of words that they will come 
across in the text.  I pick words that will help them grow their reading, writing and speaking vocabularies.  Experts in the field would call these Tier 2 words. 
I always start with pictures. Here is a presentation of the word: tremble.

I teach the word's pronunciation, syllabication,  and part of speech.
Then we enter it all into our Vocabulary Journals.


We define it by using a kid friendly, simple definition.
We draw it, using a simple sketch.
We explain it, using synonyms and antonyms or other related words.
We use it, writing a sentence with the word.


 These vocabulary journals can become part of a reading round or station during guided reading times. Students can play games with these words or practice using them in Seven Up Sentences.



















You can head here to pick up your free download of the vocabulary notebook pages. 




Monday, February 16, 2015

Teaching With Props: The Story Souvenir Suitcase

After two months of no snow, we finally got a full fledged snowstorm coming our way!  
I get a chance to catch my breath and catch up on a blogpost. 
I have blogged before about this book by Dave Burgess.  It is my "go to" book for those times in the year when I feel my energy and enthusiasm waning (like right about now). 
I read it and then suddenly I feel the need to go teach somebody something somewhere. 
It's delightfully inspiring and such an easy, fun read.  Plus it's pirate themed...so you can imagine you are out in the south Pacific somewhere....

More recently, he and his wife have collaborated on this fabulous picture book for teachers. 
 Do you have a student teacher?  Get them this book, it would make a great gift. 
Super adorable.


Product Details


Dave Burgess writes about the importance of engagement.  He makes a point of  using hooks and props to capture students' attention. This year I brought out a hook from my long ago preschool teaching days...


The Story Souvenir Suitcase.  

I used to fill it with little props related to a theme or story we were getting ready to read.  
This year I decided to dust it off and use it with my third graders. They are not too old for this kind of stuff...they eat it up. 
Much to my delight it did just what I intended it to. 
It grabbed them by their little brains and got them to attend, listen and even better than that,
 it got them to THINK. 

Here is my suitcase. 
 It is actually my husband's father's suitcase. It is a bit beat up and old...it even smells old and musty.   All part of the intrigue, it lured them in from the get go.  I introduced them to the idea of the story souvenir suitcase at the very beginning of the year when we were just starting to share books together. We talked about how cool it is to read a book, how you can get lost in it, how books can take you somewhere else for a while. To this day, someone will comment on how they felt like they  "left the room" during our book nook time - like they were in the book. Isn't that what we want reading to be for our kids.  
Then I told them that I had a wonderful book to share with them and that inside the suitcase were souvenirs from the story....items that would give them clues as to who they might meet in the story (characters), where they might go (setting) and what might happen (plot).
I popped open the suitcase to reveal the book and we talked about what we could predict from the title and cover illustration.  Then I pulled out each item and students shared predictions about how each item might show up in the story and why it may be important. 

This was my Stuart Goes to School Suitcase.  Souvenirs from this story included... a cape, ties, a toy school bus, a barrette, a muffin and a boys pass.  
Students had all kinds of predictions and questions regarding these items and they were all tuned it to the reading to find out the answers.  They got super excited when the souvenir showed up in the story. 



The suitcase also works fabulously for a nonfiction book. 
 We were reading a story about fossil fuels and the suitcase was filled with pictures, items and words related to this nonfiction text. 


I am big into getting students to set a purpose for reading through the use of questions. 
Before reading, we ask questions and then predict what the answers may be. 
We always reflect back on the answers we got from reading the text. 
This question lead poster is used for both reading and writing. 


Want to hear more ideas of props to use to engage your learners? 
Check back....maybe we'll get lots of snow!

Want the story suitcase sign?
Email me: youngdor8@gmail.com

Now I'd love to hear your prop and student engagement ideas.....





Sunday, February 1, 2015

Sunday's Words for the Week

#Motivation for #teambuilding in the office

YES, and although it is Super Bowl Sunday, we're not just talking football here....
Teaching can be downright tough these days.
I'm lucky to be working beside some dedicated, hardworking teachers who are not afraid to confront the obstacles that block our progress.
It can be exhausting work and some days it seems that no matter how much we give, it is just never enough. Blogging has allowed me to connect with teachers who support, encourage and inspire me. 
Let us never give up trying -  for we are playing this game for something far more valuable than a trophy: 
our prize: our students, our children, our future.