Balanced Literacy and the Common Core Part II

1. Balanced Literacy and the Common Core Part II Pender County Schools

2. Topic 1: Strengthening Instruction with Components of Balanced Literacy • Friendly talk probe • Who do you agree with? • What is your definition of Balanced literacy/guided reading?

3. Management • *Share: guided reading/independent group schedule • Quick transitions • Teacher is able to hold guided reading groups without being interrupted • Students problem solve during centers/rotations without teacher guidance • Time for closure/check in (exit tickets)

4. Independent Activities • Common Core alignment – grade level appropriate • Connected to focus skill of the week and/or prior weeks (spiral) • Accountability – feedback? • Task completion/successful with tasks? • Reflect a balance of all literacy components • Why do non consumable activities make it easier to go deeper?

5. Independent Reading • Monitor progress and level selected • Amount of time each day/per week • Priority • Depth and purpose • Accountability-keep it short and simple • Reflect a balance of fiction and non-fiction • *How often are your students reading independently? • *How do you hold them accountable?

6. Creative Ideas for Stations/rotations Share: What common core aligned activities have you found to be successful? GOOGLE DOC Read to Self/Independent Reading: self-selected on their levels, readers response sheet once a week, graphic organizers, reading logs, genre graph, needs to be daily (time in content areas? Require one rotation a day? Use during I and E?) Read to Someone/Partner Work: “practice” part of the mini lesson with partner, “managed choice”, genre study, author study, content (ex: ss weekly readers, Time for Kids, Science A-Z, SS textbook, etc.), book clubs (don’t release until two guided reading groups), Reader’s Theater, poetry Work on Words/Word Study: Words Their Way (sorts), spelling, vocabulary, prefixes/suffixes, phonics, choice boards – limit choice Writing Practice/Work on Writing: reader’s response/ACE strategy, graphic organizers, reading practice (mini lesson skill), free journaling, letter writing, poems, write the room (all the words that start with… A, etc.), finish up writing from writing block, grammar practice Listening/Technology: Reading Eggs, Reading practice online, Tumblebooks, Research in content area (reading or watching video and taking notes), books on tape, wikis or blogs for book clubs

7. Balanced Literacy Evidence • Anchor charts • Classroom library • Word Walls • Classroom organization including GR tableand materials

8. Anchor Charts

9. WORD WALLS

10. Guided Reading Tables

11. Guided Reading Tables

12. Topic 2: Assessment • How many times do the white t-shirt team pass the basketball? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY • “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you will see every problem as a nail.” • -Maslow

13. Formative vs. Summative Assessment • FORmative Definition: on-going assessments and observations used to modify and validate instruction. • “Assessment FOR learning” • Summative Definition: assessment used to evaluate effectiveness of instruction and measure student achievement at the end of a unit, term, etc. • “Assessment OF learning”

14. Purpose of Formative Assessment • Create groups • Refine and change groups • Informs lesson plans • Guides instruction focus • Informal and quick • Not graded

15. Formative Assessment Techniques • Reading 3D (benchmarks/PM) – Ex: FSF, PSF, DORF, etc. • Aimsweb • Running records w/MSV analysis • County benchmarks • Teacher created activities (exit tickets/journal responses, etc) • Anecdotal Notes • Reading Logs/Reading Responses • Writing Samples/Spelling Inventories • Resources: http://www.aft.org/pdfs/teachers/teach11materials/t11_providingh3.pdf • http://www.isbe.state.il.us/common_core/pdf/ela-teach-strat-read-text-k-5.pdf • http://www.isbe.net/common_core/pdf/ela-teach-strat-read-lit-k-5.pdf

16. Anecdotal Notes – what should I write?? • K-3 • Lenses for observing students: • Note areas of weakness in Reading 3D assessments/PM – ex: if FSF is in the “red” – make this your focus area in lessons and record progress in anecdotal notes • Note miscues through MSV analysis – what decoding strategies are they using? • Use classroom assessments – what skills have they mastered? • Use “reading behavior” suggestions for levels as a guide • Use summary charts as a guide • *Share sample note talking forms and summary charts

17. Anecdotal Notes – what should I write?? • 4-5 • Lenses for observing students: • Note areas of weakness in AIMS Web assessments/PM • Note miscues through MSV analysis from Running Records – what decoding strategies are they using? • Use headings from summary charts and “major skills” of the grade • Use classroom assessments – what skills have they mastered? • Use “reading behavior” suggestions for levels as a guide • *Share sample note talking forms and summary charts

18. Anecdotal Notes – Summary charts • Reflect on your guided reading notes: • Look for Patterns/Common Errors • Look for Common Strengths Select a sample summary chart to evaluate a group of students

19. How will you use your notes? • Guided Reading Lesson Planning – includes text selection, skill focus, word work, etc. • Mini lesson focus • Strategy/Intervention group – could be mixed ability, focus on a SKILL – possibly a teacher assistant group • Don’t just think about the LEVEL of the text, but also about the NEEDS of your students.

20. Using Assessment to Deepen Instruction • Mini lessons throughout the week take one skill and go deeper/apply to other content areas • Guided Reading Teaching Points focus on 1-2 skills providing a scaffold for students • Gradual Release of responsibility and increase in difficulty

21. Review 3 Elements of Guided Reading • Before • During • After • *BDA Guide Look over your lesson plan and highlight each section - BDA

22. Where are you in the process? • Self-Reflection of Balanced Literacy

23. Observing Readers Does the reader: Read without pointing? Read word groups (phrases)? Put words together? Read smoothly? Read the punctuation? Make the voice go down at periods? Make the voice go up at question marks? Pause briefly at commas, dashes, and hyphens? Read dialogue with intonation or expression? Stress the appropriate words to convey accurate meaning? Read at a good rate—not too fast and not too slow?