What are you wondering about in terms of reading and reading instruction? What questions do you have around the ideas that have been floating around your buildings?
Take a few minutes to do a quick write about what you are wondering about. It may end up as a list of questions or it may be that you will pose one or two questions and end up writing about them. Remember, when you do a quick write, just let your thoughts flow. This is an exercise in figuring out what you are thinking and wondering about and you may not even know until you begin writing!!
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What am I wondering? I'm wondering why some children are so good at questioning and are always right on target with what is going on in the story and why others struggle to "see" things that often appear quite obvious. I'm wondering if those children will eventually get better at this skill through much guided practice and discussion. I know that is the hope but sometimes we don't see it happen in the time that they are in our rooms. I only hope that as they progress through the years that I have helped lay the foundation on which they can eventually build and expand their ability to think beyond the words.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering why it is difficult sometimes to get started on reader's and writers workshops. I wonder what it will look like in a kindergarten classroom. I also wonder how much to do in terms of a workshop with kindergarteners. I wonder if they will be able to take any of the things we do like read-alouds, think alouds, and some of the basic vocab.with them to first grade, will they remember any of it?
ReplyDeleteI am wondering (or hoping) if all the pieces will come together for my reading students. Will they become aware of the big picture with the reading strategies I am teaching them? They seem to be starting to use comprehension strategies as they read but in future years will it all come together. I hope so--even though I won't necessarily see if the seeds I am planting now will blossom in the future. Are my small doses of comprehension strategy instruction enough? Are they getting the connection between what I am teaching them in Title I and what they are learning in the classroom? Food for thought!!
ReplyDeleteNow that I have completed the reading assessments on my students, I am wondering how I can best use that information to design and deliver my instructional mini lessons during Readers’ Workshop. Many of my students struggle with the comprehension piece, specifically with the deeper thinking type questions – how do I “teach” them to think more deeply? I can model the strategies for them, but is there a more effective way to reach all readers?
ReplyDeleteI am wondering more about some aspects of reading and also writing. How do I effectively teach students basic reading skills such as phonemic awareness and concepts about print? I think my question is more focused on the students that are still lacking basic letter recognition skills. Also, how do I effectively teach kindergartners writing skills when most have difficulty forming their letters or recognizing beginning letter sounds.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why some students seem to be so innately good at reading while others struggle for years. I guess a lot depends on the way the brain is wired. When we help our struggling readers to learn to read and derive meaning from it, do we cause their brain to physically change and start functioning better?
ReplyDeleteI’m wondering how to fit it all in. The format of reader’s workshop has been established in the classroom. The students are becoming much better at choosing “just right books” and are responding weekly to what they are reading. I’m trying to use the mini lesson time to fit in the comprehension strategy lessons that I want the whole class to have. All the students have been benchmarked with the help of our reading specialist. So, now I know exactly what level they are reading on and should be able to really pinpoint what I want to focus on in a guided reading group. Yet, this is really where I am stuck. How to fit in independent reading and conferences, strategy instruction and reading groups! Seems near impossible! Also, how to best use that instructional time with each group. How often to do word study with them vs. guided reading vs. strategy work? There doesn’t seem to be enough time! Need to look at the schedule again-I think the key must be integration-everything cannot be segmented. For this to happen, I think word study, reading and writing need to be blocked together. This way maybe the instruction will be more fluid.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering how when I will be able to fully implement reader's workshop? I have pieces of it throughout my classroom and continue to add more day by day. I am wondering how and when my students will be able to choose a "just right" book. I also wonder when should they being choosing these books and when can they choose books that they just "want" to read. I'm also wondering if my sequence of introducing the comprehension stratgies is developmentally appropriate for first grade. I have some students who are easily grasping these concepts and others who still can gt beyond the words that are coming out of my mouth during think alouds. I wonder how much my non-readers are getting out of these think alouds and are they transferring the skills to their own reading, even though their text is so simple.
ReplyDeleteNow that I have the readers and writers workshop format established and my students have been benchmarked I am trying to get into guided reading groups. I have never been particularly strong in this area, and as I begin to learn more about guided reading I am learning that I've never done it the way that F&P describe it. It is a challenge getting started, but like everything else that I have delved into I know eventually it will all come together. I just hope that whatever I do allows my students to continue to be successful and become stronger readers and writers.
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