Margin Notes

GET THEM TALKING

Jan
28

Student-led book talks can develop oral language skills and increase student motivation to read. Lucy Calkins in her book The Art of Teaching Reading (2007) shared that the books that mean the most to us are the ones we discuss with our friends and peers. Providing time for students to share book talks in the classroom will allow them to have this same experience.

Book talks are brief, enthusiastic oral descriptions of a book that a student has read. They are also given with the intention of encouraging others to read the book.  As adults this is something we do naturally, but how do we create the conditions to have our students do this as naturally as we do ourselves?

This very idea is explored in a 2016 article,  “Get Them Talking! Using Student-Led Book Talks in the Primary Grades,” by Alida K. Hudson in The Reading Teacher, volume 70 (2).

According to our Atlantic Canada English Language Arts Curriculum Grades K-3, …”children in the early years should be able to express thoughts and describe feelings or experiences, express opinions, and listen to the ideas and opinions of others” p. 24 In addition, “students should be engaging in informal oral presentations” p. 25 …and as well, “regard reading/viewing as sources of interest, enjoyment, and information” p. 27.  Alida Hudson’s concise article lays out the steps to creating this possibility within our classrooms.

To begin, it is important to remember that implementation should be done over the course of several weeks with a  slow, gradual release of responsibility to the students. Alida Hudson suggests the following process:

Step 1: Model, Model, Model

Search the internet for videos of young students giving book talks and pick ones that are good examples.  Share these with students at the beginning of reading time each day for about a week.  After the first cuple of days also begin to ask the students to discuss with their neighbor what they noticed about the books talks. Guide them to see that the book talks all idenify the title and author of the book, discuss the main character of the story and the main idea. Also share during this time that adults often share and recommend books to each other that they enjoy. This helps them understand the purpose of the book talks – to get others to read the book!

Step 2: Direct Instruction

After taking the first week to introduce book talks to students, begin providing direct instruction. After reading a book aloud to your class explain how to prepare a book talk and what information is needed. Consider the creation of an anchor chart like the one shown. The chart will provide the scaffold students need to practice the conversation they will be having about their book. As the teacher, you can then model giving a book talk using the anchor chart with a book you read previously.  Repeat modeling book talks for several days using the chart.

 

(“Get Them Talking! Using Student-Led Book Talks in the Primary Grades”, by Alida K. Hudson in The Reading Teacher, volume 70 (2). )

Step 3: Practice Makes Perfect

Once direct instruction is completed have students prepare book talks in small groups using texts that they already know well and on which they have background knowledge. Each student in the group prepares one section of the book talk.  Have the groups prepare different book talks over several days ensuring each student has a different role each day. To build independence begin working with students in small groups during reading workshop to develop their own complete book talk.

 Step 4: Present

Once some students have their book talks prepared, they take turns presenting. They hold the book with one hand and their written book talk paper in the other to speak.  When finished, celebrate, and allow a few questions. Continue meetings with students in small groups to prepare their book talks until all have had their chance to share. Students should now be prepared to move forward on their own preparing future book talks. You may even want to consider one day of the week as the “Book Talk” day.

Step 5:  Model, Model, Model and Accommodate as Needed

Throughout the year periodically model book talks and reference the anchor chart.  Consider pairing students reluctant to talk with a partner to book talk a text that they have both read. To support EAL students or other learners provide sentence stems and opportunities to practice prior to their turn to speak to the class. Another modification could be to allow a student to share with you verbally their book talk while you transcribe. When it is their turn to present, you could share the book talk for them as the child holds the book. Enrichment opportunities might include book talks to be delivered during an assembly or via the morning announcements or video recordings for other classrooms. Challenge students to consider giving the book talk from the perspective of one of the characters.

Book talks are not limited to any one particular type of reader or text.  Simple modifications to the process shared will allow students to book talk nonfiction.  Instead of sharing story elements, share the main idea and key facts. Books talks address speaking and listening, reading and viewing, as well as, writing and representing outcomes at all grade levels.  In addition, book talks build community in the classroom by allowing students to learn about each other as readers. Student-led book talks are an authentic activity that can be part of any classroom.

To Read the whole article try the ILA search on the International Literacy Association website (if you have a membership) or use the Ebscohost Link .

Hudson, Alida K. (2016) Get Them Talking! Using Student-Led Book Talks in the Primary Grades. The Reading Teacher, 70 (2), 221-225.

 

GUEST WRITER LAURA NOBLE RECOMMENDS ALMOST AMERICAN GIRL BY ROBIN HA

Jan
26

When we use graphic novels to teach and connect with our students, we’re using several art forms – colour choice and representation, the written word, drawing, symbolism, and collaboration. Graphic novels facilitate conversations about character growth and development that some students may not understand through just the written word. Here, we can interact with our characters and literally see them transform on the page itself. Almost American Girl is the perfect graphic novel to show how all of these elements can be beautifully stitched together to show a story about immigration, love, and growing up.

Almost American Girl is Robin Ha’s illustrated memoir that depicts her immigration story from Korea to Alabama as a teenager in the 90’s. Robin is taken away from everything that was important to her – the culture, the food, her friends, and her comic books. With a headstrong mother who is doing what she believes is best for her daughter, we watch Robin struggle with learning English, making friends, and growing up.

Ha’s illustrations and use of language is creative, sentimental, and heartbreaking. We watch her character unfold as she gains English skills and new friends. We see how immigrating to a new country and not knowing the language can cause harm and how a school experience can be ruined by an undertow of racist comments and belittling classmates.

Ha finds ways to connect with others in her community, but soon after she is told that her new stepfather is mistreating her mother, so they move yet again. Part of the appeal of Almost American Girl is the relationship of Ha and her mother. Their relationship is strained like many parents and teens, so while this graphic novel may be a mirror for immigrant students, it may also touch a soft spot with students who are finding that their relationship with their parents can often be rocky.

This book would serve so many young audiences, but I recommend it to every teacher who has/will teach a student that has moved to their school from a different country. Learning about the experience of immigrants is an important aspect of learning about language and culture, and this book does this beautifully. You will root for the characters and wish them well, feeling like Robin Ha is your best friend by the end of the book.

 

 

Laura Noble teaches English and Writing at Leo Hayes High School in Fredericton. She is an avid reader of true crime, realistic fiction, and feminist literature.

COMPREHENSION: THE SKILL, WILL, AND THRILL OF READING

Jan
21

Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey are the authors of many of my favourite books about teaching literacy. They are the authors of many of the “Visible Learning” books (with co-author John Hattie). In my opinion, their book “Developing Assessment Capable Visible Learners K-12” is one of the best books written about formative assessment and feedback. The reason I enjoy their books so much is that they mesh the research with practicality. Plus, they always challenge and expand my thinking!

Their latest book, Comprehension: The Skill, Will, and Thrill of Reading (with co-author Nancy Law), is no exception.

In this book, the authors lay out their case for why reading instruction needs to move beyond teaching the skills of reading – to also include the explicit teaching of the will and thrill of reading comprehension.

If you are a teacher of literacy who is looking for ideas on how to…

…get students excited about reading.

…teach critical literacy.

…increase student talk.

…have students question any text they are reading.

…encourage students to take action through reading and understanding.

I would highly encourage you to read this book!

Fisher, Frey and Law’s research-based ideas about cultivating the thrill of reading in our students rests with them being able to answer one simple question:

“What does this text inspire me to do?”

Well, I pondered this question and was inspired to write this review!

Learn more about Fisher and Frey here.

Here, Nancy Frey is speaking about reading comprehension at the South Australia Literacy Conference in February 2020:

https://youtu.be/qwfyXO-VLZU

If you are interested in more resources about teaching reading and viewing, may I also encourage you to check out the ASD-W Margin Notes Literacy K-12 SharePoint – Reading/Viewing Page.

Happy learning!

PICTURE BOOKS FOR EVERYONE

Jan
19

Picture books provide for teachers the perfect tool to build students’ vocabulary, understanding of story structure, and character traits, but beyond that they also provide teachers the perfect platform to introduce areas of study far beyond that of developing literacy skills.  Discussion of complex ideas like cause and effect, self-esteem, bullying, or mathematical concepts can all be initiated through the use of picture books at any age. You are never too old for picture books, and given how busy teachers are, why not consider combining multiple purposes through a read aloud?

The following texts are new releases that teachers of all grade levels will enjoy having as part of their classroom library.

Because by Mo Willems and illustrated by Amber Ren provides a joyful journey through a series of seemingly unrelated and insignificant events that bring a young girl face to face with a life changing moment.

 

 

 

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James uses easy to read text to highlight the strength, courage, and worth of a child. Strength can be found in a painful fall, courage in making an effort, no matter how small, and it all contributes to recognizing our own unique worth.

 

 

 

 

A Computer Called Katherine by Suzanne Slade and illustrated Veronica Miller Jamison celebrates the life and perseverance of Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician featured in the movie Hidden Figures. Katherine exhibits strength and the unwavering recognition that how she and other women are and have been treated is wrong… as wrong as 5+5=12 or 10-5=3.

 

 

 

I Didn’t Stand Up by Lucy Falcone and illustrated by Jacqueline Hudon is another example of a seemingly simple text that will facilitate thoughtful discussion about bullying. The illustrations like the text provides powerful context for the topic.

TRY THIS TOMORROW: PROJECT ZERO’S THINKING ROUTINES TOOLBOX

Jan
14

Project Zero, hosted by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, describes its mission as “to understand and enhance learning, thinking and creativity for individuals and groups in the arts and other disciplines.” You can learn more about Project Zero and its focus on making thinking and learning visible through thinking routines and protocols, documentation, and artifacts here.

Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox is an extensive collection of routines “designed by PZ researchers to become one of the regular ways students go about the process of learning. Routines are patterns of action that can be integrated and used in a variety of contexts. Educators might even use more than one routine in teaching a single lesson. Routines don’t take time away from anything else educators are doing; instead, they enhance learning in the classroom.”

The toolbox organizes the routines into categories based on the kinds of thinking they will inspire, such as Perspective Taking and Digging Deeper into Ideas. By selecting an activity and clicking on the title under “Resource Links,” you can access a printable one-page description of the routine that outlines its purpose, describes possibilities for applying this routine, and offers tips for launching it in the classroom.

The routines make students’ thinking and learning visible in multiple ways, including writing, talking, drawing, and movement. They are easily adapted to any grade and learning context and are a powerful way to scaffold students’ explorations of various texts, topics, and concepts. This toolbox is filled with options for facilitating authentic discussion and helping students develop the essential skills of critical thinking, close reading, and questioning texts and their world.

 

EGG OR EYEBALL? BY CECE BELL

Jan
12

Cece Bell, author of Newbery Honor Book, El Deafo, has taken the stage with her new, “Chick & Brain” series for children learning to read. Egg or Eyeball? is the second book in Cece’s series. Not only is she the author of this book geared to generate many laughs from its readers, but she also boasts the illustrator title for this series too!

What I particularly love about this title and the previous book, Smell my Foot, is that Cece captures the audience with comedy about manners gone wrong with the characters Brain, Chick, and Spot.

So, what is this mysterious discovery?  Chick and Spot say it is an egg with supporting facts, and Brain says, “eyeball.” Sit down, relax and judge for yourself. You may be surprised with the outcome!

THE FOUNDATION OF WRITING WORKSHOP: 10 BELIEFS ABOUT WRITERS AND WRITING

Jan
07

As a followup to Tuesday’s post on 10 beliefs about readers and reading, we wanted to share the beliefs about writers and writing that guide our work. Here are our beliefs:

1. Students’ writing development is directly related to their volume of writing.

“Building writing stamina, the volume we write, and our commitment to developing our craft is essential. Students need to understand that writing begets writing: the more you write, the better writer you will be” (Elliott and Lynch, Cultivating Writers).

“They need time to generate ideas, focus their attention on a topic, be engrossed in drafting a piece, play with words and craft, and get caught up in text creation” (Elliott and Lynch, Cultivating Writers).

2. Engaged writers make decisions about topic, audience, purpose, form, and mode.

“Too often, in trying to help students, teachers do too much of the thinking. Students come to rely on formula and standardization—and when formula and standardization take hold, the energy and intellectual rigor that comes from creation gets lost. Students become disengaged” (Kelly Gallagher and Penny Kittle, “The Curse of Helicopter Teaching”).

“Writers have varied experiences. They employ different strategies when composing in different situations, for different purposes and audiences, and when using different technologies and tools. Writers also make ethical choices, and writers always have more to learn” (NCTE, Understanding and Teaching Writing: Guiding Principles).

3. Honouring and developing students’ writing identities is essential.

“Because writing is linked to identity, writers represent different ideologies, values, and identities. Thus, writers’ cultures and languages influence their writing. Recognizing that students are language users with multiple literacies will help the writing instructor engage students in writing. Writers also bring their past writing and reading practices with them whenever they write or read. In short, everything they have experienced, who they are, where they have been, and what they have done impact their writing practices, literacies, and language attitudes” (NCTE, Understanding and Teaching Writing: Guiding Principles).

4. Our role is to teach the writer and not the writing.

“Too often we teach Writing Skills and the Writing Process rather than helping students find something worth communicating. How can you write to make a difference if you have nothing to say? How can you be ‘fearless’ if you lack the courage of any conviction? Why learn to write well if you have no desire to achieve any effect? Writing is ‘thinking on the paper,’ as the National Commission on Writing put it” (Grant Wiggins, “Real-World Writing: Making Purpose and Audience Matter”).

5. Writing is a tool for thinking.

“When writers actually write, they think of things they did not have in mind before they begin writing. The act of writing generates ideas; writing can be an act of discovery. This is different from the way we often think of writers—as the solitary author who works diligently to get ideas fixed in his or her head before writing them down. The notion that writing is a medium for thought is important in several ways and suggests a number of important uses for writing: to solve problems, to identify issues, to construct questions, to reconsider something one had already figures out, to try out a half-baked idea” (NCTE, Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing).

6. Writers require a caring community.

“As writing teachers, we consider it our duty, responsibility, and obligation to create safe writing spaces: places where our students can tap into their lives and know that their ideas and experiences have value; an atmosphere in which they are willing to put themselves on paper and, above all, know that their story will be received with the love, care, and respect it deserves. This requires a caring community” (Elliott and Lynch, Cultivating Writers).

7. The process of writing must be valued as much as the product.

“First, to say that writing is a process is decidedly not to say that it should—or can—be turned into a formulaic set of steps or reduced to a set of traits. Experienced writers shift between different operations according to their audience, the purpose of the writing task, the genre, and circumstances, such as deadlines and consideration of length, style, and format. Second, writers do not accumulate process skills and strategies once and for all. They develop and refine writing skills throughout their writing lives, as they take up new tasks in new genres for new audiences. They grow continually, across personal and professional contexts, using numerous writing spaces and technologies” (NCTE, Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing).

8. Writing requires talking and reading.

“…writing exists in an environment of talk…Writers often talk in order to rehears the language and content that will go into what they write, and conversation often provides an impetus or occasion for writing. Writers sometimes confer with teachers and other writers about what to do next, how to improve their drafts, or how to clarify their ideas and purposes.”

“Writing and reading are related. People who engage in considerable reading often find writing an easier task, though the primary way a writer improves is through writing. Still, it’s self-evident that to write a particular kind of text, it helps if the writer has read that kind of text, if only because the writer has a mental model of the genre.” (NCTE, Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing).

9. Teachers are writing role models.

“You are the writing teacher in your classroom. You are directly responsible for creating the writing culture and climate. We believe your students deserve a writing teacher who is knowledgeable about the craft, process, and challenges of writing. Your students are entitled to a writing teacher who provides insightful feedback, tips, and suggestions. They are also worthy of a writing teacher who incites enthusiasm and passion for writing. We cannot say it any other way. You have to be a writer, even if it’s in your own way!” (Elliott and Lynch, Cultivating Writers).

10. Authentic writing instruction and assessment reflect real-world writing.

“For assessment to be authentic, it must include tasks that are a good reflection of the real-world activities of interest. This term arose from the realization that widely employed assessment tools generally have been poor reflections of what literate people actually do when they read, write, and speak. The logic of authentic assessment suggests, for example, that merely identifying grammatical elements or proofreading for potential flaws does not yield an acceptable measure of writing ability. Writing assessment tasks should reflect the audiences and purposes expected in life outside of school, with the real challenges those conditions impose” (ILA & NCTE, Standards for the Assessment of Reading and Writing).

“Think of the many genres you know that, really, have no life outside the walls of schools: ‘five-paragraph essays,’ ‘book reports,’ ‘short answers,’ even ‘summaries’ as freestanding texts. Many of these began in ways that are related to writing outside of school. But they grow apart from their origins, becoming “school genres,” of a breed that lives nowhere outside captivity. Students can tell, and in turn they often divest themselves from writing” (Anne Elrod Whitney, “Keeping It Real: Valuing Authenticity in the Writing Classroom”).

 

THE FOUNDATION OF READING WORKSHOP: 10 BELIEFS ABOUT READERS AND READING

Jan
05

Although we may not always realize it, as teachers our beliefs about readers and reading greatly impact how and what we teach, and what we ask readers to spend their time “doing”. As Jill and I began work on a 4-part series of reading workshop webinars, we came to realize that the foundation of reading workshop is these beliefs we hold about readers and reading. Here are the beliefs that guided our work:

1. Students’ reading development is directly related to their volume of reading.

“The volume students read is critical to the advancement of their reading skill and overall academic success (NCTE Statement on Independent Reading)

2. Honouring and developing students’ unique reading identities is essential.

 “Because it leads to a volume of reading, we care more about our students’ active engagement than we care about any particular literacy work. To nurture reading identities, we believe that the diversity of students and their experiences must be represented in the reading in our classrooms” (Gallagher and Kittle, 180 Days).

3. All students can be engaged readers.

“Engaged readers are motivated to read, strategic in their approaches to comprehending what they read, knowledgeable in their construction of meaning from text, and socially interactive while reading” (Guthrie, Wigfield et al, “Engagement with Young Adult Literature: Outcomes and Processes”).

4. All students must have access to a wide variety of texts that they can and want to read. 

“Classroom libraries must contain digital and multi-modal texts and be diverse in text category (non-fiction and fiction), genre (e.g., fantasy, historical fiction, realistic fiction, myths, autobiographies, memoir, narrative non-fiction, expository non-fiction), and text level” (ILA, The Power and Promise of Read-Alouds and Independent Reading).

5. Choice of what to read is essential for developing motivation and agency. 

“When students can choose their reading material, they are more likely to read…to increase reading volume, teachers have to expand the amount of choice students have in what they read” (Fisher and Frey, “Raising Reading Volume Through Access, Choice, Discussion, Book Talks”).

6. Daily self-selected independent reading time is non-negotiable.

 “Teachers need to make reading a priority in their classes so students will receive the message that it’s important. Elementary grade children and beginning readers get this message constantly – and read more and more often as a result. Teenagers need to receive the message too” (Atwell & Merkel, The Reading Zone).

7. Our role is to teach the reader – not the text. 

“In our reading experiences, we can help students discover who they are and who they want to be. We can open our classroom doors wide to make sure that all children who enter, that all children who show up, know that with us they will learn, with us they will read, with us they will matter. Because they do. And we can ask those kids how we can be the types of teachers they need. We can ask those kids how they would like to learn and then we can listen to their truths and become the teachers they need” (Pernille Ripp, Passionate Readers).

8Reading is a social act. 

“Talk deepens thinking and learning. Yes, there are moments when we seek deep reflective silence in our classrooms, but these moments, but these moments are balanced by the frequent buzz that occurs when students share interesting thinking with one another” (Gallagher & Kittle, 180 Days).

9. Teachers are reading role-models.

“Teachers who are engaged readers do a better job of engaging students as readers. According to Morrison, Jacobs, and Swinyard (1999), ‘perhaps the most influential teacher behavior to influence students’ literacy development is personal reading, both in and out of school’ (p. 81). Teachers should commit to leading literate lives and becoming connected to reading communities—whether in person or through social media—that support them as readers and literacy professionals. Teachers should understand the value of different modes and platforms for reading (Garcia & O’Donnell-Allen, 2015) and build their capacity to read with a critical, discerning eye (Newkirk, 2011)” (NCTE, Preparing Teachers with Knowledge of Children’s and Young Adult Literature).

10. Authentic reading instruction and assessment reflect real-world reading.

“We believe there is greatness to be found when we gather around literature and poetry, but students do not discover this greatness through lectures, quizzes, worksheets, or poster projects. Students discover beauty when given the opportunity to wrestle with the greatness of literature on their own terms” (Gallagher & Kittle, 180 Days).

“For assessment to be authentic, it must include tasks that are a good reflection of the real-world activities of interest. This term arose from the realization that widely employed assessment tools generally have been poor reflections of what literate people actually do when they read, write, and speak… reading very short passages and answering a limited number of multiple-choice questions is not a good measure of what literate people normally do when they read. Authentic assessments of reading employ tasks that reflect real-world reading practices and challenges” (ILA & NCTE, Standards for the Assessment of Reading and Writing).