Conversations in Four Blocks Classrooms

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2. Conversations in Four Blocks Classrooms Four Blocks Leadership Conference Clemmons, NC Jan. 19, 2004 Sharon Arthur Moore

3. Conversation vs. Interrogation Dick Allington started it all Need to simulate what real readers do in real life Told Pat to write a book

4. Conversations in Four Blocks Classrooms Examined professional literature, what I had done, what I taught people how to do, and what I understood (or didn’t) Concluded there are three kinds of conversations you can have:  Metacognitive Instructional Literate

5. Let’s have some conversation! Listen to this text and . . . If you are in the instructional group, find out what people understood. If you are in the metacognitive group, talk about your thinking as you listened. If you are in the literate group, talk as adults talk about books.

6. Conversation in schools The focus in schools is on Instructional conversations. To create proficient readers, have Metacognitive conversations To create avid, eager readers, have Literate conversations.

7. Which Blocks Support Conversations? The Words Block is the only one NOT supportive of conversations about text. Every strategy in the book can be used in Guided Reading (Comprehension) Block. Adaptations for Writing and Self-Selected Reading are provided.

8. What are the differences? Discussion Model Number of responses Question type Discussion purpose Language used Text use Teacher purpose Relevance Teacher control Teacher role Engagement Student attention

9. Sketch to Stretch 1. Read or listen to the same selection. 2. In 2-3 minutes, sketch the most important ideas. 3. Pick someone to show a sketch first. 4. The sketcher is quiet while others talk, one by one, about what they thought were the most important ideas. 5. After all have shared, the sketcher talks about the sketch and the ideas heesh was trying to show. 6. After sketcher shares, another person shows a sketch.

10. Sketch to Stretch Adaptations for Blocks Guided Reading model with earlier selection groups of 4-5 share after reading Writing sketch key ideas for planning show during Author’s Chair Self-Selected Reading model with read aloud use for conference reference

11. Adjective Checklist 1. Teacher displays pre-selected words and clarifies meanings. 2. Students listen/read a selection while thinking about which words best describe an identified character. 3. Students justify their choices. 4. Students summarize the character.

12. Choose/justify 3 words that best describe the diarist:

13. Adjective ChecklistAdaptations for Blocks Guided Reading model with one set of words identify the character for a different set Writing teacher identifies traits for conference Self-Selected Reading use for conference

14. Research Base for Strategies The strategies themselves may not have been researched with experimental studies, but the focus of the strategy has been. A table shows the research base; e.g., Adjective Checklist and Sketch to Stretch

15. Research Base for Strategies Adjective Checklist Graphic organizer Summarize Infer Evaluate importance Prior knowledge Meaning vocabulary Sketch to Stretch Graphic organizer Summarize Evaluate importance Text structure Monitor Prior knowledge

16. Conversations . . . engage students at a higher level; create a real-life model for how to think about text; develop more independence with text; and, are more fun for students and their teacher!