1. Model Lesson Plan Objective: TLW read a level U book focusing on the details and main idea through note taking Procedure: 1. Introduce the text and vocabulary 2. Model the desired reading strategy ( details and main idea ) 3. Make predictions 4. All students whisper read while teacher listens in to take notes 5. After reading, have students complete notes and facilitate discussion 6. Complete word work on the decoding strategy using words from the text Evaluation: Notation of strategy use

2. Getting Started Choose 4 centers: Create a work board Decide exactly how you want to group your students for centers Create your guided reading flexible groups MODEL the expected activity Walk the room during centers to monitor management Begin meeting with guided reading groups when the centers are running well

3. Scheduling Group your students using your assessments and personal opinion *5 or 6 groups Meet with at-risk (low) groups 3-5 days a week Meet with more proficient readers at least 2 times a week Try to meet with 2 groups a day. Especially if Title I is taking a group.

4. Raising the Bar! Reading Center  Independent reading with a “just right” book: read to an animal  Partner reading with LAL or Big Book using a pre-taught strategy  Read the Room Writing Center  Handwriting  Making “cards” to friends, family, others  Rewriting a wordless book  Illustrating a story with labels/sentences  All About Me book  Ordering pictures and telling stories Word Work Center  Making words/ If I can Spell  Phonics of the week: “Be the Teacher”  Go Fish  Picture Sorts/ Word Sorts Additional Centers: Discussion

5. Unlocking Understanding Cyndi Castello-Bratteson Literacy Consultant

6. What is Reading Comprehension? Simply put… It is making meaning from any written text. Written text includes books, magazines, and computer messages. “It is an interactive process involving the reader, the text, and the content.” (Block et al, 2002) Comprehension is a cognitive process.

7. Successfully Implementing Strategies Direct explanation of the strategy Modeling Guided practice Focused feedback Independent application

8. MODEL, MODEL, MODEL “When we observe someone carrying out an action, the same neurons in our brains fire as if we were carrying out the action. We actually practice as we observe.” (Kagan, 2009) *Do not expect independent practice to be successful if you haven’t modeled with think- alouds once or more than once.*

9. Comprehension Strategies Preview and Predict Self-Questioning Making Connections Visualizing Knowing How Words Work Monitoring Summarizing Evaluating

10. Strategy #1 Say Something

11. Strategy #2: Visualizing Key words Small pictures: V&V Bedroom: Schema Short sentences: Moving on to text only

12. Key Words COLOR

13. Inferring “Inferring, according to Anderson and Pearson (1984) is the heart of meaning construction for learners of all ages. When readers infer, they use prior knowledge and textual clues to draw conclusions and form unique interpretations of text.” (Miller, 2002)

14. Inferencing: Poems with a missing title Feeling Cards Guess What I Am Thinking What Am I Doing?

15. Strategy #3A: Inferring with Feeling Cards On Your Back: Objective: TLW use students’ clues (oral or written) to infer what feeling or event is written on their back. Procedure: Explain inferences by MODELING the meaning of reading between the lines Create a class chart of feelings through read alouds and group discussions Pin a feeling card to one student’s back without the student seeing the card Allow all students to see the card and think of clues for the target child Have students describe the emotion or event without using exact words Prompt the child to infer what the feeling may be “on their back” Evaluation: Have students discuss feelings of characters while reading text and ask them to point to information that allowed them to make their inference.

16. Strategy #3B: Two Column Notes to Infer Two Column Notes to Infer: Multiple Days Objective: TLW use clues within the text to record their thoughts while reading Teacher explanation- What is the strategy and how does it help comprehension Teacher models the strategy using the big chart while students are in whole group observing Introduce a new chart and collaborate sharing the marker with students to mark up the text and infer in column #2 Repeat above step but pair up students with chart paper Have students write their own poems or “What Am I Doing?” riddles at center time Present a new student-generated piece to mark up with the class each week Evaluation: The students will mark up each column and explain their inferences

17. I’m a ______ some think that I’m a pest, they call us names like vermin a title we detest. Although we may be young ones we’re grey right from the start, if only we could change to brown they’d take us to their heart. They’d put us all on greetings cards at Christmas and new year, along with robin red breasts to bring you all good cheer. We try to eat the nuts you put out for the birds when our needs are dire, and even hanging upside down we can’t get through the wire. We skip along and flash our tails to impress you in the park, and you in turn release your dogs who start to growl and bark. When they chase us to the nearest tree we leave them on the ground, we sometimes wonder who is worse the owner or the hound.

18. Hear him tumble…grumble rumble...Bash, crash, blunder— old grouch thunder! Always in a mood to fight— morning, afternoon, or night. Lightning quickly answers back with a zig- zag flashing crack!

19. Whisky, Frisky, Hippity hop, Up he goes To the tree top!Whirly, twirly, Round and round, Down he scampers To the ground. Furly, Curly, What a tail! Tall as a feather, Broad as a snail! Where's his supper? In the shell, Snap, cracky, Out it fell.

20. Strategy #4: Self-Questioning Self-Questioning: Objective: TLW use questions before, during and after reading to make connections to the text. Procedures: Teacher explanation- What is the strategy and how does it help comprehension Teacher models the questioning strategy using the big chart while students are in whole group Introduce the book. Ask and MODEL "before" questions Picture walk/predict. Add questions Begin reading and stop to add "during" questions. After reading add more "after" questions and have a summary discussion Review the purpose for questioning Evaluation: The students will code the chart and show support for their answers.

21. Strategy #5: Text Coding with Sticky Notes Sticky Note Strategy: Objective: TLW use a coding chart to apply sticky notes during and after reading. Procedure: As a class, create a coding chart based on known strategies to this point Model using sticky notes for active reading through a read aloud lesson Allow volunteers to apply one sticky note to the read aloud text Modify chart according to student input Groups of students will read a common text and apply a minimum of 3 sticky notes using the chart to display active reading Have groups present their codes and connections Evaluation: Students will work independently coding with sticky notes in their just right independent reading selections.

22. Text Coding Possibilities Confused: Cleared Up: Favorite Part: :) Text-to-Self TS Text-to-Text TT Text-to-World TW

23. References: Block, C.C., Gambrell, L.B., & Pressley, M. (2002). Improving comprehension instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Carreker, Suzanne. (2004) Developing metacognitive skills. Houston, Texas: Neuhaus Center. Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers Limited. Keene E. O., & Zimmermann, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a readers workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Miller, D. (2002). Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary grades. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse. McLaughlin, M. & Allen, M.B. (2002). Guided Comprehension. Newark, Delaware. National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidenced- based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Schumaker, J.B., Denton, P.H., & Deshler, D.D. (1984). The Paraphrasing Strategy. University of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas.

24. Contact Information Cyndi Castello-Bratteson 201-280-4690 Cyndilearning@yahoo.com