Chapter+3

__**Chapter Three: Effective Teaching Practices for Reading Clubs**__ Talk about which one may be difficult at your grade level and why. **I think the hardest part as a 2nd grade teacher and even now as a principal is the practice of providing time for students/adults with time to talk about books. The talking part is so important for processing the new learning and building skills but it is always a struggle for me to make sure the conversations are fruitful and focused. In 2nd grade it was difficult because their age seemed to limit the level of conversation they could have with one another...I know now that better modeling of what strong conversations look like and suggested vocabulary would have helped a lot...with adults...it seems like professional development style book studies are tricky when it comes to authentic conversation because there is so little time for teachers to talk to teachers in the regular day to day and it is hard to focus on discussing a book when there are so many other things to discuss. Carol Dawson** I think of these 4 best practices that Kathy elaborates on for reading clubs "teaching through demonstration and modeling" will pose the biggest challenge. The demonstration and modeling would be the most helpful and authentic if I had adult reading club partners to model with. I am new at this so I would feel most comfortable if it were almost scripted out at least until I am better at this. Kids often say and come up with unpredictable comments or suggestions and sometimes I’m afraid I would not be quick enough to think of a proper response to keep things going in the right direction. I actually think this is more a problem for me than my first graders. With time and practice I think I will be able to use the wonderful language Kathy, Lucy and company use. –-Jodee Tuttle Chapter 3 Question #1 from Bobbi Friend – As teachers, we should always consider best practices for teaching in every academic area. The best practices for reading according to Kathy are to teach skills, strategies, and habits through demonstration and modeling; maximize students’ time with books they can read with high levels of fluency, accuracy, comprehension, and interest; provide time for students to have self-initiated and self-maintained talks about books; and balance whole-class, small-group, and one-on-one instruction. The one that I feel will be the hardest will be teaching through modeling and demonstration due to the age of my students. I plan to use mini-lessons for the majority of my direct instruction, but most of the time I will use narration rather than demonstration due to the fact that sixth graders will not need as much modeling. However, I will use the think aloud method when teaching with read alouds and when working with partners and small groups. The next best practice, keeping levels in mind and matching students to books they can read, will be fairly easy with students at the level that I am working with them. I will need many books at higher levels to be available to my students and that part will be challenging. The next one, providing opportunities for student-initiated talks about books, will be easy to do because my students will have experience in this due to having reader’s workshop for several years. Finally, balancing large-group, small-group, and one-on-one instruction will also be easy to do when I am working with students for reading only. I will be doing a variety of instruction when working in reader’s workshop, partnerships, and reading clubs.
 * 1) 1. As always, whenever we teach, adhering to best practices should always be considered. Kathy states four best practices we should keep for reading clubs:
 * using demonstration and modeling
 * maximum time with books
 * provide time for students to talk about the books
 * a balance of whole-class, small groups and 1-1 instruction
 * Respond Here:**
 * My challenge will be "maximum" time for book. I'm ready, but I team and I need my partner to see the dream of a group of lifelong readers. Showing him that we can do this throughot the day, in different curricular times. Redesigning our classroom library. Teaching him how to get right fit material. Also modeling and demonstrating the art of a minilesson that shows classroom management through out the day.**
 * Margaret Fox**
 * I know that of these 4 best practices that using demonstration and modeling are my strong suits, but really being present and focusing on 1-1 instruction is hard for me with 29 other kids in the room. I tend to watch what everyone else is doing and scout out the room making sure everyone is really on task. Classroom management is hard for me because I do not like it to get too loud and I think at times if it does it truly distracts me (just being honest here). I have good management and if I am being an exemplary teacher my kids should know the routine, procedures, appropriate voice level, have good independent problem solving skills and should ALWAYS be on task........................ however, that does not always happen and it is a big challenge for me to let things go at times so I can give my undivided attention to someone or to a group. I also have to watch it to make sure the kids are really reading "just right books" and not trying to read material that is too hard for them . I talked a lot about this in the last book club on Growing readers. Being able to concentrate on small groups and one on one or pairs is a goal for me this year! SLG**

**I taught 4th grade this past year and at this grade level, I think it could be most difficult do very much whole class instruction on reading clubs. Of course, doing some initial modeling will be important, but it seems like if I spent too much time beyond this, the kids would quickly lose focus because what they really need is to get with their partners and start practicing. Possibly at first, I will be able to continue with some whole class teaching on this as I point out examples of what various partner groups are doing well for the rest of the class to observe. It seems that small group instruction would be the easiest way to teach with reading clubs because the kids are already working in small groups! Simply approaching them and working with the students right where they are at will be easy. I'll also have to make sure that in the weeks we are doing reading clubs, I really do give the kids enough time to really be in the books, reading and discussing. Of course, time always feels short, but I know the students will be able to gain a great deal by being able to spend this time each day.** **--Kristy Weberg--**

// I think that like Jodee stated, "teaching through demonstration and modeling" will be the biggest challenge for me. Even though I am constantly modeling throughout the school day and even though "children learn from what is demonstrated to them, from what they see others doing" I will be worrying about, "Am I modeling the right way to do it? Am I demonstrating exactly what I want my students to do?" I was very helpful to read an example of demonstrating vs. narrating to help me. Just as with anything, the more you do it, the easier it becomes. I have to remember this, and give my kids opportunities for guided practice and engagement!! Jill ﻿ //

I hear SLG worries about classroom management with meeting with students in small groups and one to one situations. Collins go into that in depth in her other book Growing Readers, which is a great book about reading workshop and unit of studies. She has a whole unit on Readers Build good Habits and she states "spending time on procedures and management in the beginning is, in fact, good teaching and a good time investment." Now that I have finally realized conferencing is really just one-on-one teaching, I feel really comfortable with small group and one-on-one instruction. It is that mini-lesson that I still struggle with. One of the main reasons is that I try to use Lucy Calkins language which sounds so artificial coming from me. I definitely sound more like Collins so will try to adapt my mini-lesson to be more like hers. (see Growing Readers, too) I realize after reading this chapter my teaching, I feel, sound more like a narration, when all along I thought I WAS teaching with demonstration. After reading and seeing the difference between the two, I really was teaching with narration. Even as an adult, though, I would prefer to be taught, and I am sure my students would, too, by teaching with demonstration. I really want to work on that this year. Fran Olesen

Reading all your comments made me think about this differently. The first thought that popped into my head was that small groups would be the most challenging. I can plan the mini-lessons and squeeze in the 1:1, but I sometimes have a hard time fitting in the small group lessons I want. After reading your responses, though, I thought, "Wait, am I really modeling? Or am I just narrating?" I did think about when I read pages 37 and 38, but reading your comments made me take a second look and question myself. Cool! I do think I tend to narrate instead of model. I was thinking it might be helpful to have a little reminder sheet with the points she makes on page 38. Krista Raffenaud
 * use the strategy
 * think aloud
 * show how
 * "Watch me...."
 * "Watch how...."

The one may be difficult for all grade levels is to provide them for students to talk about books. The time will be a factor to fit everything in. But the main trouble will the process of teaching the students to engage in productive book talk. KDN


 * 1) 2. Next Kathy talks about how to maximize the impact of our instruction. She shares some great ideas and tips. Which one of these, if any, presented new thinking or an "aha" for you? Share your thoughts.
 * 1) 2. Next Kathy talks about how to maximize the impact of our instruction. She shares some great ideas and tips. Which one of these, if any, presented new thinking or an "aha" for you? Share your thoughts.

I loved the idea Kathy shares on page 42 where she decides to use the basket of books used by her most challenged readers when doing her demonstrating. She states that this was giving these readers book introductions prior to their reading club time. They must have been carefully watching her modeling because it states that when they went to reading club time she say them replicating the work she had demonstrated. I think this is a great idea as these most challenged readers are often reluctant or insecure with their reading work and if they already had an idea of how to get started they would probably be more productive. I would not do this all year but I do think it would be of value perhaps in the first cycle of reading clubs. –Jodee Tuttle Chapter 3 Question #2 from Bobbi Friend – When discussing how to maximize the impact of instruction, Kathy talks about several teaching strategies. Whole-class mini-lessons are very familiar to me because I have been working with writing and reading workshop for the last couple of years. There was an aha for me when I read about choosing what reading club basket you’ll use for demonstration for mini-lessons. Kathy says “by modeling strategies with texts from the challenged readers reading club, they can get more support and a jump-start on their work together”. By modeling using a lower level text, I can provide more support to my struggling readers. That made a great deal of sense to me because I can give them some instruction in a way that is not obvious and yet it will provide them the same type of information as a book introduction would. The next strategy is having reading conferences during reading clubs. This is a strategy that can be used to conference with several students at once, making more teaching impact in less time than individual conferences. The next strategy, providing small-group instruction in the form of strategy lessons, seems to me to be very similar to providing a table conference. The next one, share time after reading clubs as whole-class instruction, is similar to the link portion in the reader’s workshop lesson. It is an important teaching strategy that takes very little classroom time. It does, however, provide students with the link for what to do with the lesson they have just learned when they go into the real world of reading. The last strategy, opportunities for reading club instruction throughout the day, provided me with another aha. The idea that any time students are aligned in partnerships, whether they are line partners, seat partners, math partners, field trip partners, or any other kind of partner, we can offer support and instruction for how to cooperate well with others and for how to deal with difficulty in partnerships. Again, we can teach a great deal this way using minimal classroom time when we identify the multiple uses of partnerships to enhance how students will work when they are working with their partners.
 * Respond Here: I also like the idea that both Jodee and Bobbi shared; using the book basket used by the most challenged readers. I can see why this is a more efficient way to teach so to speak because you are gearing the modeling and focus on the kids who might have the hardest time connecting or even paying attention, especially if they think that what you are doing or saying is too hard for them . I also can see that it is a good idea as Kathy states because in essence we are doing a picture walk and a book introduction for the kids who need it most. She also had a good idea with the suggestion of using the book basket that no one picked as we can "give a good book talk" and hopefully stir up some kids that might be interested in that topic. Whole class mini lessons as well are so very important and are the most familiar to me> I like them because it hits on "hot topics" that really everyone needs and considering I hardly ever have my class together as a whole (60 minutes) I need to talk to them as a group quickly when I can!! SLG**

I found Collins quote about the whole group / mini-lesson encouraging, "We try to keep this as brief as possible so that students get maximum reading time, but also because there is no way that a whole-class lesson can ever be perfectly gauged for the immediate needs of every reader in the classroom." I, totally, go too long on my mini-lesson, and must remember that I will also be teaching in small group and in conferences (which I feel is more effective instruction.) I need to think about my literacy mini-lesson more like my math mini-lesson - I gather the troops demonstrate a concept and send them on their way to work on their individual work while I meet with students one-on-one or in small groups. "I have found that it's very helpful to teach mini-lessons as if I were participating in a reading club myself." I found this extremely good advice in all my teaching. I continually need to put myself in the child position, and think what he or she is going to need. I, too, found the demonstration basket a "keeper." It is like giving a small group lesson to the students using that basket, (and a future lesson for student who choose it in the next cycle.) My weakest area is definitely share time - I just run out of time. I highlighted and want to remember Collins line, "The work the students have just done in reading clubs is fresh, and thy haven't necessarily switched their mental gears toward the next thing on the schedule..."I have ordered and plan to read Mermelstein book on share time to get more ideas. Fran Olesen

I too made a note to myself to use books from the club of my most challenged readers. What a great idea! Another good reminder was that the conferring I'm doing with a partnership can benefit and include others nearby (1st paragraph on page 43). Like Fran I often let myself run out of time for after reading share time. If I make myself honor that time I'll have another opportunity to model, engage, and help solve problems. Thanks too, Fran, for the quote about the mini lesson you started with. It reminds me of something I've heard that conferring is when some of the most important teaching happens. If so, it seems even more important to keep the mini-lesson short enough so I have more time to confer. Krista Raffenaud

I like the author's comments on "Just Right Prompts"...she talks about how too much support leads students to become more reliant on the teacher and actually leads them further away from independence instead of closer...this is tricky as a teacher to know when enough is enough. While I was still a teacher, I would also go to other schools and provide professional development to teachers in the areas of reading and writing...I spent a lot of time preparing for my presentations but the thing I also thought to be interesting was the amount of thought I put into determining what "not" to tell teachers. It is hard to know when to stop talking and let the students figure some things out on their own but it is so important. This is the way they gain their independence, this is the way they make their connections to the text and other learners and this is the way they are able to identify they still need help and how to form their own questions to seek help. "Just Right Prompts" provide just enough to keep the learner learning. Carol Dawson


 * Two ways of maximizing instruction for reading clubs that I have not thought about yet are on pages 44-45. They are Share Time after Reading Club time, and using this as whole class instruction moments. Also, finding opportunities for reading club instruction throughout the day. While reading this book I have thought about what reading clubs I plan to do, how to schedule them into my day, how I'll organize books, etc, but I had not thought about what to do after the reading club until I came to these pages. The share time will be a great opportunity for more whole class instruction, talking through what students did with their time that day, and what worked and what did not work. We'll really be able to pull out some strategies that make reading clubs successful during this time. Also, it will be important to find other opportunities for reading club instruction and pointers. Kathy points out that during shared reading, we can bring out strategies that will be useful to students during reading clubs. Also, if I have reading clubs that are tied to other subject areas, there will be times when I can give pointers of what to think about and work in in reading clubs during the instructional time for these other areas. **
 * --Kristy Weberg-- **
 * 1) 3. We set high goals for ourselves as we plan for reading clubs and we also need to make sure we set up our students to achieve their best. How will you make sure you both achieve your best? Explain.
 * 1) 3. We set high goals for ourselves as we plan for reading clubs and we also need to make sure we set up our students to achieve their best. How will you make sure you both achieve your best? Explain.

My goals are high. My preparation for these clubs will be explicit. Since we are tobecome a community of life long readers, my research will be the guiding force as I pepare my students for the journey of twists, turns, bumps and celebrations. As I instruct toward these clubs there will be many, many opportunities to role play being part of a club. As stated earlier I will start a practice club using music in October. The other clubs will happen between January and May. Margaret Fox

//**As stated before me, I think it will be very important for me to re-read this book again as the school year approaches. As of right now, I will be teaching a 4year old program which most of the imformation in this book will not be applicable to my classroom. I do plan however to try as best as I can to introduce reading clubs in my classroom on a much basic level for 4 year olds. As always it is so important to model teaching for the children and I will incorporate this as much as I can in my classroom. The reading baskets will contain the most basic reading level that I can provide for my children, and for some of them especially as the year progresses they will be texts that are just right for them(with my early readers). I can still have my children partner read on a regular basis, and form that partnership throughout the school day also. Jill ﻿**//
 * Respond Here: A few things that I can do for myself is to be sure to keep reading over the book and try to connect with people that are doing the same thing as I am . My curriculum director is very supportive and she assists me and offers me much help when needed so I will go to her when I have questions as well. As for the class I can only hope that they will achieve their best based on my best teaching. If I am not doing a good job modeling and demonstrating and setting up clear, reasonable, realistic expectations how will my kids know what to do to reach their potential in this arena? In order to help my kids do their best work I need to make sure that I am teaching explicitly and with clear intention. If I can do that and now exactly what I want them to do then I think that I can help them do their best! SLG**

Kathy repeatedly asks us to consider and think. What skills do readers need? What do real life readers do? What habits do they need? What does a good conversation sound like? I think it is important to try to really picture what quality work looks like. It helps us and our students know what we are shooting for. In the busyness of the school year this is hard to do though. I think SLG makes a good suggestion to try to connect with people that are doing the same thing. I know it helps me think and clarify. I think having both the students and myself do a self evaluation at the end of the club would also be good. One more idea that Kathy had for helping students do quality work spoke loudly to me. I'm so glad she talked specifically about modeling/teaching what a good conversation looks/sounds like. Krista Raffenaud

**My first goal is to be realistic with myself about how many reading clubs I will accomplish in my first year of trying them, and my second year of doing reading workshop. I'm currently planning to implement 3 reading clubs during the year, but keeping an open mind for more in the opportunity seems right. I know that for the first reading club, I will plan to spend time giving explicit instruction, and make sure I make all the expectations clear for both myself and the students, since this will be the first time for us both. I also want to make sure I allow some time to build enthusiasm for the books we will be using in our first reading club. I know if I can get this part right, students will want these books, especially if the class is excited and they know they will get to talk about them with a partner. That just makes it so much better! Last, I really want to set the bigger context for the reading club, so students understand the purposes behind what we are spending time reading and why we are focusing our time in this area. I don't want kids to feel as though we just finished this isolated book club at the end and they don't understand the bigger picture of how it all fits together with our learning, as well as how they can use the skills they practiced in other formats of reading.** **--Kristy Weberg--** My goal is to assist as many teacher that are willing to do reading clubs. I think this will be a great way to integrate science and social studies into the world of quality literacy. I hope this will maximize the impact of instruction for the most students and their individual needs. KDN **﻿**