Preparing for Your Independent Reading Conference Freshman Survey Literature Mr. Abrams

The Three Parts of the Conference Summarize the development of the theme Read aloud to demonstrate comprehension Give an example of important dialogue or incidents in the book and explain how it reveals important information or raises important questions for the meaning of the story.

What happens in a conference Groups of 3-4 students will be called to meet with me at the front of the room. Each student will have about 2 minutes to do all three things listed on the previous slide. You will receive your grade on the spot. If you have not finished your book it WILL hurt your grade.

What do I do while other students are conferencing? The class will be engaged in silent reading and extra-credit testing while conferences are going on. Respect other students’ right to an education. A student who is not in a conference group and disrupts the conference receives a 15 percent deduction for each disruption. After the third disruption, this student’s conference participation grade will be entered as an F.

How is the conference graded? The conference has two grades: – a participation grade out of 100, which is based on finishing the conference and being respectful of other students – a performance grade (also out of 100), which is based on how you on the three skills

How is the conference graded? Each of the three skills in the conference are graded out of 30 points, and an additional ten points are available for exceptional preparation and performance. Reading aloud……………………………………..30 Summarizing the theme…………………………..30 Explaining dialogue or incident…………………..30 Exceptional conference…………………………..10 Total Possible…………………………………...100

Summarize the development of the theme Exceeds 30Meets 25 Below 20 Not Tracking 15 Reads fluently with appropriate variety of tone, pacing, and expression. Reads fluently with appropriate expression – some errors or hesitation. Reading is not fluent and expression may be halting, but passage has been prepared. Reading is not fluent, expression may be halting, passage has not been prepared.

Read aloud to demonstrate comprehension Exceeds 30Meets 25 Below 20 Not Tracking 15 Uses examples to show persuasively how theme develops through a sequence of moments in the book. Applies cause and effect explanations to theme, but may be incomplete or theme may be poorly chosen Plot summary with cause and effect Fails to go beyond plot summary

Discuss a specific example of dialogue or an incident in the book Exceeds 30Meets 25 Below 20 Not Tracking 15 Demonstrates persuasively how a specific quote or incident reveals or causes something important Restates or summarizes a quotation with some added analysis. Restates or summarizes a quotation with little or no analysis - prepared Restates or summarizes a quotation without analysis - not prepared.

How to Prepare for the Conference Choose a passage of between 100 and 150 words and practice reading it aloud with appropriate tone, pacing, and expression, to demonstrate comprehension.

How to Prepare for the Conference Complete the paragraph at the top of page 2 of the Short Book Data Sheet. Make sure you use examples which you collected at the top of page 1 of the Data Sheet in your paragraph.

How to Prepare for the Conference Find the most important point in your book—it could be an example of dialogue or it could be something that happens (an incident). Explain why this dialogue or incident is important in one or more of the following three ways: -it causes the main action to happen -it reveals something important about a main character, -it causes a character to have to make an important choice or decision

The End! Remember! You will not know ahead of time when your conference will take place. I will randomly choose students and you must come up when you are called.