New Books!

I just finished putting in my first Scholastic Order of the year.  After 2 years of working as a Literacy/Numeracy Coach, this truly is a momentus occasion.  Once of my most favourite things to do is order new books for the classroom!

My colleague, Amy, shared a great idea with me.  She suggested that I start a "Scholastic Wishlist".  The kids thought this was a great idea, so they listed all of the books that they would like to get from Scholastic, but couldn't afford.  Using my coupons, (over the years I've managed quite a collection), I was able to order more than half of the books on their list.  I can't wait to see their faces when their orders come in!  I love ordering from Scholastic because their selection is so good, their books are affordable, they are so easy to deal with, and their "Free Picks" and Coupons are awesome!  They really help you to build up your classroom library quickly!

I love placing my orders through their Clubs Online.  It is so easy and convenient.  And no, I don't work for Scholastic, but I do love their website.  They have great teaching resources on there as well.
http://www.scholastic.ca/

Several of my boys claimed that they are not readers and don't like reading.  In June, in anticipation of my move back into the classroom, I ordered a series of books called Orca Currents.  These novels are high-interest low-vocab books.  I find that they really appeal to boys.  They are short, so kids who have not yet developed reading stamina can get through them quickly, and although they are written at a lower reading level (Grade 2, 3 and 4  levels) they deal with contemporary issues that would interest 11, 12, and 13 year olds.  They are also written by well-known and well-loved authors like Eric Walters.  Not only that, but the covers are great.  We made a list of how we choose books, and we decided that YES, WE DO JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS!  My boys are LOVING them!

As you may have guessed, my classroom library is now fully operational.  The students organized it all themselves, as planned, so they know where any book can be found. 

Today I started conferencing with individual students about their reading.  I started with the students who had low scores on our benchmark reading assessment.  Even though we have had several lessons on how to choose an appropriate book I find that at least half of my students don't seem to realize when a book is just way too difficult for them.  It's no wonder they don't like reading!  I mean, would you like skating if every pair of skates you ever wore were too big! 

For our Reading Conference, I always ask the students to "Bring me a book you read well".  Then I ask them to say why they chose the book, what it is about, and whether it is easy, hard, or just right for them.  Then I do an "over-the-shoulder miscue analysis" as they read a page aloud.  Then we usually have a discussion about their strenghts, and set some goals for what they need to work on. With my low readers, I usually then take them to the class library to help them select a new book.  They really need to be explicitly taught how to find a book that they can read and enjoy!  They are always amazed to find out that wow, they really can enjoy reading if the book is a good fit!

My Feet Hurt!

Well, the first week went smoothly and according to plan!  Yay!   I feel very lucky; my kids are adorable and very keen.

I gave them each a whiteboard and they are loving those.  (My friend and virtual teaching partner, Terri, gave me the idea of buying a sheet of whiteboard at Home Depot and cutting into into small individual boards.  The price was just over a dollar board!)  I am using them for formative assessment (as suggested in Dylan William's Embedded Formative Assessment,which Terri suggested I read) all day, but especially during Math.  I will frequently ask them a quick question that they have to solve on their boards, then hold up.  They will look at what others have put, sometimes change their minds, sometimes start defending their answers.  It has led to some great classroom discussions, but also quickly tells me who knows what.  I find that it has helped give the quiet ones a "voice".

I'm also using a "random name generator".  It is a free app called "Stick Pick".  I pass the IPad onto a student, and they click on "Stick Pick" which randomly names one of the students in the class.  I'm using this during class discussions.  The students are only putting up their hands to ask questions, not to answer them.  This way we get to hear from everyone.  We are only four days in and I think every single one of them is now comfortable saying "Well, I don't really know, but if I had to guess...."  The first few times I got a lot of "I don't know"s, but I used Debbie Diller's line "I know you don't know, but if you did know, what would it be?"  It's like magic.  I've also increased my wait time, (that is the hardest part), AND waiting AFTER the child has responded.  If I don't say anything after they comment or answer, they start feeling the need to elaborate.  Another of Dylan William's ideas that I am finding works wonders.

My classroom library still isn't opened yet, but it's almost ready.  I've been introducing about 100 books a day.   I am down to my last bin (out of 8).  The kids are practically salivating over the books, "Can I just keep this one in my desk", "Can I place a hold on this one", "Can I borrow a book to show my mother".   It is hilarious!  They even went to the librarian at recess and asked her if she would let them take some books out because they NEED to READ!  The funniest part is that I surveyed them on the first day of school and all but 5 said they don't like to read!

So all is going splendidly well.  On Wednesday I will start my formal diagnostic assessments.  In our Board we do a Reading Comprehension assessment and a Writing assessment.  I also like to use the PRIME Math Assessment Tool for Number Sense. 

Once the class library is officially opened, and each of the students has selected an appropriate text, I will begin building their independent reading stamina.  I use the Two Sisters' methods (from Daily 5).  Each day we will read for longer and longer periods of time.  Then, once they can read independently for 20 minutes, I will begin my Reading Conferences, meeting with 3 to 4 students per day to assess their reading and help them set reading goals. 

Yes, it is wonderful to be back! But man, do my feet hurt!!!!

The Birth of the Classroom Library

I have over 1500 books for my classroom library.  It is one of my most prized possessions!  I've been spending the last few weeks on Pinterest looking at pictures of so many beautifully organized classroom libraries, I am just itching to put all of my books into their baskets and onto their shelves.  But I am not going to.

A few years ago, I read Frank Serafini's Lessons in Comprehension, and he suggests "birthing" the classroom library with the students.  So during the first week of school, I will gradually introduce the students to the collection of books that I have as I "invite" them into the "World of Reading and Literature".  Each day, I will place a collection of about 30 books onto each group of desks.  Students will have five minutes to peruse the book collection at their group.  Then I will ring a bell, and they will rotate to the next collection of books.  That way, the children will see about 150 books a day.  Together as a class, we will then determine labels for the various genres that they noticed, and we will begin to sort the books into those categories.

Meanwhile, we will also create anchor charts for Reading by exploring why we read, how we take care of books, strategies for choosing an appropriate book, when to abandon a book, and what good readers do.  I like to read a page from my husband's electrical engineering textbook.  I read it fluently and expressively, demonstrating how well I can decode all of the words.  Afterwards, I explicitly state that I can decode all of the words, and that for the most part, I even know what each of the individual words mean, but as a whole, while I can read it beautifully, I have no understanding of what I just read.  I explain that in order to understand a text, I have to have some background knowledge on the subject matter.  If not, I have to read a much simpler text on the topic.  We talk about the fact that reading is about making meaning, it is about understanding, and that the goal for this year, is to understand deeply what we read.

For the first week of school, we continue to view the books in the library, but the library is not yet "open".  Once we've viewed most of the books, and we've categorized the books, the children are responsible for organizing the library.  I then announce that the library is "open"- by now they are usually thrilled because they've been salivating over the books all week and not allowed to read them (a little reverse psychology).  They each select a book, and then I tell them that they have a seven page book report due the next day.  (I love to see their chin drops!)  I then explain that they have to read the first seven pages of the book they have chosen, and write me a paragraph explaining why they chose the book and if they think they will like it. 

You might wonder where all of my books came from.  Many are free picks from Scholastic, many are books my own three children have outgrown, many are from garage sales, but most are from donations.  Parents are more than willing to donate books that their children are finished with, you just have to let them know that you welcome their donations.