I'm going to start off with a few notes about Guided Reading chapters 3 and 4 (So far, while I assumed this was the "bible" of guided reading, I don't know that I'm getting too much out of this self-imposed professional development book study. Can you recommend a better book about guided reading for me?).
Chapter 3:
- This chapter was about the components of a balanced literacy program. As a teacher with background in teaching ELLs, I appreciated their emphasis on oral language as the undercurrent of a balanced literacy program. (Components include interactive read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading as well as shared writing, interactive writing, writing workshop/guided writing, and independent writing.
- A gradual release of responsibility is evident across the 4 types of reading and writing.
- Guided reading should involve flexible, rather than fixed groups.
- Guided reading changes purposes across grade levels, but may include character development, story structure, comparing themes of different texts, exposure to different genres, and obtaining information from texts, among other purposes (p. 30).
- Reading workshop (p. 32). After reading The Book Whisperer, I know that this is what I want for my classroom.
- Writer's workshop includes a mini-lesson (3 types: procedural, strategy/skill, and craft), writing time, and sharing time.
- I LOVE the end remarks at the conclusion of this chapter!!! On page 42, Fountas and Pinnell state that "The quality and effectiveness of the interactions between teacher and children (and between children) within the framework are most important. It is not the elements themselves but the teaching decisions within them that lead to new learning.
Chapter 4:
- This chapter was all about the classroom environment needed to support a balanced literacy program and the "underlying theory" (p. 43-44).
- The importance of the classroom library was supported by the two authors.
- "Oral language supports literacy in a fundamental way" (p. 50). Yet again, the importance/role of oral language is affirmed, as it was in Chapter 3.
Tomorrow, my school will be honoring the local veterans with an assembly and a choir performance. Following that, my assistant principal will be visiting my class to watch my students present their products that show their learning about U.S. celebrations. She observed them researching the celebrations for my evaluation. I'm so proud of my students, and I'm so excited that they are learning research skills at the young stage of second grade. I will share more about this learning experience after my students present their work tomorrow. I hope to also actually post my contribution to My Truth Monday in a timely fashion (after my track record with this linky over the past few weeks though, if I post it by Wednesday, it will be marked down as a success in my book. :-) ).
Other things going on this week include Picture Book Month (throughout November, even though I just found out about it this weekend), and National Young Readers Week. As part of the latter, my class will be reading the free daily online stories available here each day. Here are the stories that will be featured each day this week (I know my students will be particularly thrilled that there is an AR test on the last 3 books.):
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| Monday |
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| Tuesday |
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| Wednesday |
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| Thursday |
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| Friday |
Have a great day at school tomorrow, everyone!
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