Turbocharging a Basal Reading Program: A True Story

1. Turbocharging a Basal Reading Program: A True Story Mark Weakland

2. www.MarkWeaklandLiteracy.com File Cabinet tab Turbocharging Literacy file Click on “Download file”

3. Think and Write What percentage of US school districts use a basal reading program?

4. Turn and Talk Why do so many school districts use a basal (core-reading) program?

5. Why? Attempting to leave no child behind, in a way that was “scientific and researched-based”, districts dropped guided reading, novels, and themes in favor of core-reading programs

6. All inclusive programs save teachers and administration time All inclusive programs contain “everything you need”

7. If a teacher is very busy, poorly trained in reading, or new to the field, basals are easy to launch and fly

8. Core-reading programs often come with technical assistance and professional development; one neat package

9. Basals are available year after year They provide consistency between grade levels

10. They provide materials, sequence, stories, etc. for the busy teacher In the hands of a skillful teacher who adapts, modifies, and brings in supplemental materials, core-reading programs are somewhat effective

11. Between a Rock and a Hard Place Progressive practices taught in higher ed. Basals are only somewhat effective. “Oh, I could never teach reading with a basal!” For various reasons, basals are used in most districts. “Use our core reading program and use it with fidelity!” Follow the manual.

12. Think, write, turn and talk What are the four to five “big ideas” to teach in any effective literacy program? What are the golden threads?

13. Hallmarks of Montessori • Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori include… • Multiage groupings • Peer learning • Uninterrupted blocks of work time • Guided choice of work activity • Specially designed Montessori learning materials • Aesthetically pleasing environment • American Montessori Society • http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori

14. The Four Values

15. Variations in content and instruction “We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.”

16. “The language of [this book] may sound familiar to you. After all, there’s nothing new under the sun. If you’re a student of reading instruction and an aficionado of teacher resource books, you’ll see that many of my ideas come from the four blocks and balanced literacy models, readers’ and writers’ workshops, and Pearson and Gallagher’s (1983) gradual release of responsibility… [much comes] from the writings of instructional clinicians, researchers, and innovators such as Calkins, Allington, Moats, and Archer. What’s new and different in Super Core is that my values are incorporated into the broad structure of a core reading program.”

17. Important point #1 The most effective teachers are masters of both content and instruction.

18. Important point #2 A core-reading program should not be your complete reading program. Why?

19. For many reasons, publisher-created programs are not flexible enough, powerful enough, or motivating enough to enable all students to reach important reading benchmarks.

20. Core-reading programs can create an environment in which reading teachers become less effective over time, not more.

21. How can teachers make core-programs more effective? Take small steps or take large steps, but take them year after year.

22. Vocabulary

23. Vocabulary word selection • Word selection is critical • Pick the most useful, high-frequency, academic vocabulary words from your list • Beck and McKeown’s Three Tiers • Other ways of selecting words are possible (SWIT)

24. Three tiers • Tier I baby, clock, happy • Tier II coincidence, absurd, reality • Tier III isotope, lathe, peninsula • Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown, Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304

25. Tier Two Words • Johnny Harrington was a kind master who treated his servants fairly. He was also a successful wool merchant, and his business required that he travel often. In his absence, his servants would tend to the fields and cattle and maintain the upkeep of his mansion. They performed their duties happily, for they felt fortunate to have such a benevolent and trusting master. • Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown, Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304

26. Tier Two Words? • The servants would never comment on this strange occurrence [finding the kitchen clean even though none of them were seen doing the cleaning], each servant hoping the other had tended to the chores. Never would they mention the loud noises they'd hear emerging from the kitchen in the in middle of the night. Nor would they admit to pulling the covers under their chins as they listened to the sound of haunting laughter… • Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown, Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304

27. Tier Two Words • The servants would never comment on this strange occurrence [finding the kitchen clean even though none of them were seen doing the cleaning], each servant hoping the other had tended to the chores. Never would they mention the loud noises they'd hear emerging from the kitchen in the in middle of the night. Nor would they admit to pulling the covers under their chins as they listened to the sound of haunting laughter… • Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown, Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304

28. Put chosen words in base word form Tend, not tended • Tending, intend, superintendent Emerge, not emerging • Emerging, emergence, emergency

29. Introduce words with direct instruction routine

30. Emerge T- “Who knows what emerge means?” S- “When you get on the highway!” T- “Get on the highway? Oh, that’s merge!” T- “The word is emerge. What does that mean?” S- “Is it like an e-book?” S- “E- or!” T- “No, that’s the donkey. OK. Listen, I’ll use it in a sentence. See if you can figure out what …”

31. Emerge • Emerge means come out of or appear. • What does emerge mean, everyone? • Can a chick emerge from an egg, everyone? • What does the chick do if it emerges? • Can the sun emerge from the clouds, everyone? • What else can emerge? And what does it emerge from? (TPS)

32. Vocabulary card method • Cumulative • Mastery learning • Direct instruction • Model and practice • Based on body of research

33. torpedo intelligent mammal cartilage carnivore predator fluke

34. Vocabulary card activities • ABC order; read the words • Point to the word • Pick up the word • Closed sort • Open sort

35. Comprehension

36. Yearlong focus on 5-6 strategies • Model, model, model • Guided practice • During shared and guided reading • Across grade levels and content areas • Formative assessment

37. Turn and Talk If you were going to teach 5-6 comprehension strategies throughout the year, across grade levels, and across content areas, which 5-6 would you pick?

38. Close Reading(is the new metacognition)

39. Extended reading and writing

40. Create time by… • Getting rid of worksheets and practice book pages • Doing less summative testing (“selection tests”, weekly grammar tests, etc.) • De-emphasizing the anthology story and related activities • Doing two things at once: guided reading groups / independent reading and writing routines

41. Extended writing

42. Extended writing • Whole group guided writing • Independent writing routines • Modified Writer’s Workshop emphasizing authentic topics

43. Your Turn: 90-second write • Write down what’s on your mind • Write down the people you love • Write down things you love to do • Write down things you despise • Write down things you find interesting

44. Students Grow When TheyWrite, Write, Write September, 2013 to March, 2014

45. Grammar

46. Teaching Grammar: Step 1 • Teach grammar vocabulary with direct instruction routine • Review grammar vocabulary and formatively assess understanding with pinch cards • Or a technology-based class response procedure

47. Pinch card • Parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective • Parts of speech: 1, 2, or 3

48. Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives Limpid Limpet Dongle Procrastinate Opine • (A) clear, transparent • (N) sea snail, mollusk • (N) small computer HW • (V) delay action • (V) state opinion

49. Tense Categories 1 = past 2 = present 3 = future • I will call you tomorrow. • Bring me the ball, Tiny! • The river raged, and Meg watched as her house floated by.

50. Science 1 = carnivore 2 = herbivore 3 = omnivore • caterpillar • black bear • shark • sparrow