Instructional Inquiry

1. Instructional Inquiry Two Reading Communities at Geneseo Central School By Sara Kelly

2. Jesslynn’s first grade with Miss Birnie • Former - “Reading for School” DIBELS running record, controversial system • Current - Best practices for balanced literacy • Literacy assessment - Fountas and Pinnell - Guided Reading, spelling tests began mid-year

3. Literacy instruction methods and materials: includes-word work/word building with beads and pipe cleaners, 1 rug for gathering all of class, 1 rug in the reading nook, several bulletin boards about reading, book bins for specific books, each child has a bin for notebooks and other books.

4. 3 teacher notebooks for: reading groupings, informal running record, calendar Grouping - by reading level, in order to focus on a comprehension strategy. Goals and expectations – set during conferencing (one student per day). Home-to-school literacy connection-book in a bag sent home “please read to your child and send back to school each day,” weekly newsletter, monthly calendar from Miss Birnie. Local literacies and environmental literacies in the school community: “Little blue” mascot (Blue devil’s elementary version) Question of the week. Lunch bunch on certain days of the week. After you finish your lunch a parent will read to a group out in the foyer. Pajamas and paperbacks, is when college students bring books and snacks to the school a few evenings per year. Each child gets to be read to and take a new book home to keep.

5. Texts that teacher and students used over an extended time: Matilda by Roald Dahl Read: The Country Mouse and the City Mouse, “readers theater” Talked about: A Day With No Crayons Wrote about: The Treasure Chest by Jesslynn Kelly (with help from SUNY practicum students) Listened to:Book Flix-scholastic On-line, Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

6. Whole group – phonics lessons, phonics application, mini-lessons, book talks done by Miss Birnie. Small group – guided reading groups (usually 3-4 students), whisper reading, buddy reading, fluency (sound out the big words), say with expression. Individual – reader response journal, conferencing with Miss Birnie (when do the running record, one student per day).

7. Reflections on and considerations for extending the role of a balanced literacy program and workshop approach in this classroom community. • In this first grade class I would love to see clear goal setting and expectations made during reading workshop. I think this would help the students to focus and aim for a clear purpose. • The bulletin boards are beautiful. I wonder if the students could write some of the words or items out for them as well. • Students could give book talks to expose other students to new books. • Jessie’s word work group was writing out letters on worksheets. They are at a level where they could be writing out words in context.

8. Danny’s 4th Grade with Mrs. Offord Balanced literacy Literacy assessment- Fountas and Pinnell, guided reading, ELA assessment given in grades 3-8.

9. Literacy instruction methods and materials – book bins, book nook chart, conferencing with individuals and guided reading groups. Grouping – by ability and interest. Goals, strategies, and expectations – set during conferencing.

10. Strong Value in the Home-to-school literacy connection – 2 or 3 “Author’s Teas” per year. Local literacies and environmental literacies in the school community

11. Students wrote about: literacy circle and Stargirl. Book journal used to respond to comprehension questions and for back and forth dialogue with the Teacher.

12. Instructional time: Whole group • word work • with plurals • and their rules.

13. Individuals put spelling words into sentences in a paragraph. When they have finished the paragraph, they are free to either read their pleasure, “read to self” book, or can read their guided reading book.

14. Small group time is used to conference with guidedreading groups. The studentshelp to decide up to what page they will read as well aswhat strategy they will work on: fluency, expanding vocabulary,summarizing, or highlighting an especially important orwell-written paragraph.

15. Texts used over an extended period of time:Read aloud by Mrs. Offord: Danny, the King of the World.Individuals were reading such books as Radiance, The Dork Diaries, The Ugly Guide to the Uglyverse, Deadly Cows, The Secrets of Droon.Guided reading groups were reading: Sarah Bishop, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, The Three Musketeers.In guided reading groups, they took on the roles that went with the strategy, either: literature luminary, vocabulary enricher, summarizer…Reading workshop has a special tone, with lamp light used instead of the beacon, a beautiful landscape on the projector, and whisper voices used everywhere. Mrs. Offord also uses music to set the tone for moving from one activity to another, ie, from whole class work to guided reading groups.

16. Reflections on and considerations for extending the role of a balanced literacy program and workshop approach in this classroom community. In addition to the wonderful work that Mrs. Offord is doing I would love to see the students meeting in groups on their own with her just checking in for a few minutes here or there. This would be more like a literature circle than a guided reading group.

17. Geneseo elementary book room. What a great resource.

18. Geneseo Central Demographics Geneseo Central Elementary School is in a small town and has about 60 students per grade level. 36% of the population get free or reduced lunch. 13% of students have IEP’s. ELA success? When compared to similar schools in the state, Geneseo rates middle to high. Within the BOCES, Geneseo rates middle to low, and within New York state overall, it is rated high. In a small school the percents can be misleading, 5 student scores can sway a grade one way or another. There is one reading specialist and two helping reading teachers as well. It has used the Fountas and Pinnell system for 6 years. The common language has been very helpful for the teachers, as well as the professional development that the school does. Geneseo values the teacher as the expert and expects that from one classroom to another, there will be variation that depends on the style and personality of the teacher. Geneseo also values a balanced literacy approach and follows many of the teachings and ideals from the CAFÉ book.

19. What does is mean to be literate at Geneseo Central School? During my conversation with Principal Mark Linton, we discussed the use of the ELA scores as motivators and determiners for the direction of literacy at the school. Mr. Linton believes that the scores need to be taken seriously. He thinks that in some districts (like Pittsford or Brighton) the very definition of literacy is linked to the scores of the students on the ELA. Mr. Linton thinks there is broader definition of literacy, one that has to do with encouraging students to love to read and write. He is grateful for the involvement of SUNY Geneseo students with programs like practicum, reading and speech workshops, and paperbacks and pajamas. The college is one of the best resources Geneseo Central has. How does the school model reading and writing as valued lifelong activities? Geneseo models its value of reading and writing by inviting family members to come in to help with activities and/or read to students. I have a friend who is reading one of the Junie B. Jones books to her son’s kindergarten class. She is also writing cinquain poems with the class because this is one of the topics in the book.

20. In 2002, when our oldest son Ben was in 2nd grade, I began to volunteer to teach Spanish classes for the children in his class at GCS. That year I went in on 25 different Fridays. The students and the teacher, Ann Miller, loved it. We did puppet shows, read Spanish stories, acted out skits for buying food at a store and ordering items off a menu at a restaurant and sang many songs. I have continued to volunteer in my other children’s classrooms, although at this point in our busy lives, I do about 6 or 8 lessons per year. It has served as a valuable activity and it shows the openness of the teachers and school community to parental involvement and parental literacy. Another example of the school valuing the literacy of its families is the parent activity day that happens every June. On this day, parents volunteer to lead an activity for grades K-2 or 3-5, either in the morning or the afternoon. In the past I have offered yoga classes as well as Spanish classes. Other parents and community members have offered dance, floral arranging, jewelry making, and pottery among many other things.

21. How does the community motivate learners to become lifelong readers? The PTSA has been an integral support system that values reading and writing. It has supported summer reading programs through the donations of book bags to children for the summer months. It was the PTSA that organized the lunch bunch reading program for 6 years and got parent volunteers to come in to read during lunch periods. In addition, the Science Fair is a PTSA run enrichment activity. For five years now it has been a time to read and write and interact with the writing of fellow students. Parents and community members are the judges at this event that takes place the first week of May.

22. A conversation between Sara Kelly and Mrs. Amanda Offord, 4th grade teacher at Geneseo Central School. Februray 13, 2012. Q: What is the benefit of using journals as part of your balanced literacy instruction? A: There are different types of journals. Originally I used a type of individual reading journal. Students would: 1) record the title, author, 2) ask questions, “What will happen next? Why?”, 3) make predictions, 4) make connections, “it reminds me of…”, 5) List details of what is happening in the current chapter, 6) Talk about his or her feelings and answer “Could I do that?” or “I am afraid that the character will…”. Q: How did these work out for students and for you? A: It was a very nice part of our reading program but it took too long to give each journal the time that it needed. It took about 20 minutes to read and respond to each student, each time. Q: What are some alternatives to this? A: I have one group of four girls that have begun their own literature circle, complete with their own notebook. They have taken the book Stargirl and very independently acted out many of the roles of the literature circle, from illustrating some of the characters, to writing predictions, to locating and discussing some of the most vivid and moving scenes. Q: How do you check in with them? A: About once a week I ask to take a look at the journal and I give them verbal feedback. I also sit in on their discussions once every few weeks. Q: What other types of groups do your students form? A: They are grouped by their reading level. I still meet with most groups as “Guided Reading Groups.” They are not quite at the level of independence that it takes to have a fully functional and independent literature circle.

23. A conversation between a Geneseo parent of five children and Sara Kelly April 23, 2012. Q: What has been one of the best literacy experiences you have had through Geneseo Central? A: When Sarah was in 1st grade she began the school year not recognizing all lower case letters and not enjoying reading. With Mrs. Miller’s guidance and support, Sarah was not only recognizing all of her letters, she was reading and writing and loving it by November. Q: What do you think made the biggest difference for Sarah? A: It was Mrs. Miller’s ability to work on the recognition at the same time that she helped Sarah to find a genre that she loved and was passionate about. Mrs. Miller was able to find animal stories that were at Sarah’s reading level and that Sarah also connected with her interests. Q: How did Mrs. Miller do her groupings for reading and writing? A: For reading it was homogeneous and for writing it was heterogeneous. This worked well for Sarah

24. Q: Your third child has autism and an IEP. How is the school supporting him with his literacy? A: He meets with a reading support person everyday. He uses it as more of a resource room and to get homework help. It has helped him to learn to use his love of drama and his photographic memory to remember things. At this point it looks like he will not get a Regent’s Diploma. He is going to participate in the poetry slam presentation next week. He really connects to poetry. Q: You volunteer at the Geneseo Wadsworth library each week, what do you see happening there that is supportive of literacy, children and families? A: I see so many wonderful programs for preschoolers through adults. I see tutors meet with their students there. The pioneer library system has such a variety of book, magazines, movies, games, and music. People in town use the interlibrary loan all the time as well as the computers. I think that the people in Geneseo love the convenient location of the library on Second St.