1. Poetry: The Rhyme and Rhythm of Reading Formative and Common Formative Assessment and Literacy For elementary and K-8 Librarians Session 2 – 9:10 – 10:10 Session 3 – 10: :20 Session 4 – 11:20 – 12:30
Gracie A. Flowers
Library Information Specialist
Holmes Road Elementary

2. Objectives Know: Literacy is every educator’s obligation.
Every librarian has the potential to impact literacy through instruction, resources and support.
Shelby County Schools has developed a Comprehensive Literacy Improvement Plan (CLIP) to accelerate literacy learning.
Understand:
Learned strategies can be integrated across content areas to increase student literacy.
Development and implementation of high-quality programs encourage student reading and enhance literacy instruction across all grades and subjects.
Digital resources are additional tools that can be used to impact student literacy.
Do:
Analyze literacy assessments to determine the instructional needs of their students
Design activities or lessons that support Common Core Standards in literacy
Obtain grants to provide high quality resources to increase literacy
Provide multiple opportunities to engage in authentic literacy activities .

3. Norms Be present and engaged
Be respectful of differences in perspective while challenging each other productively and respectively
Monitor “air time”
Make the most of the time we have
Stay focused on students

4. What is the Goal of Content Area Literacy Instruction?
To teach the ideas, concepts, and principles of a specific subject in a manner that learners receive instruction in reading strategies that meet the unique requirements of the individual subject area

5. ACT, The Forgotten Middle, 2008
Literacy and content area learning depend on each other
What happens if students leave MS and enter HS unprepared for reading?
Chance of Later Success
Science
Mathematics
Unprepared In
Reading 1%
15%
Prepared
32%
67%
must be cross-curricular – if we want to ensure that students will have future success in math and science, we have to ensure that they have the reading strategies they need to comprehend informational text in different content area courses.
This chart shows if students leave MS (entering HS) unprepared in reading, they will not be successful in math or science
ACT, The Forgotten Middle, 2008

6. Progress toward CCR Shifts in Literacy/ELA hold Promise for Content Area Learning
Building knowledge through content-rich non- fiction and informational texts [Reading Standards #1-10 in ELA and Reading Standards for History/SS, Science, and Technology]
Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from the text [Reading Standard #1, Speaking and Listening Standard #1, and Writing Standards #1, #2, #9]
Regular practice with complex texts and their academic vocabulary [Reading Standards #10 and #4]
The major CCSS literacy shifts as they reside in the actual standards document.

7. CCR Standards designed to Support Content Area Learning
Note: include this slide for social studies audience or the next slide for sciences audiences, not both.
As you know, CCR includes explicit standards for ELA generally, and for literacy in the specific content areas—to support both literacy and content area learning.

8. CCR Standards designed to Support Content Area Learning
Note: include this slide for science audience or the previous slide for social studies audiences, not both.
As you know, CCR includes explicit standards for ELA generally, and for literacy in the specific content areas—to support both literacy and content area learning.

9. What do we mean when we say, “Our students can’t read”? What do we do?
“When faced with students’ resistance to reading or difficulty in comprehending course materials, teachers respond in a variety of ways. Feeling pressed to cover the curriculum , unprepared to assist students with reading, and eager to make sure students understand the content of a particular discipline, many find themselves teaching around reading. “They make adjustments that may seem sensible but that they know are compromises. ‘I’m doing backflips in the classroom to get the content across without expecting them to read the textbook,’ … I’ve stopped assigning reading; the text is almost supplementary for my … curriculum’” (Schoenbach, et al, 1999: 4)
As you introduce this slide--“As content teachers, we often struggle with students who struggle as readers. But what do we really mean when we say, ‘Our students can’t read’?”
Then click to the text, and allow participants to read and reflect silently.
“Does this sound familiar? Have any of you ever done this or seen this response form your colleagues? How did it make you feel?” (Prompt, “Did you feel like you were trading between expediency and rigor?” Sufficing, but maybe not serving students as best as we could. “What was the down side?”

10. Literacy in the Content Areas
Includes explicit literacy (and ELD) learning objectives
Literacy in the Content Areas
Models and reinforces metacognitive strategies, e.g., self-correction, questioning, visualization, annotation, connections/PK, summarization, graphic organizers
Acknowledges each content area has its own literacy norms, text structures, and challenges (e.g., genres, vocabulary, concepts, and topics)
Includes explicit instruction (including modeling) and practice in the literacies and content of each discipline
Appreciates vocabulary is strongly related to general reading achievement; includes both direct, explicit instruction and indirect, learning from context (e.g., listening, other reading instruction, reading) to support vocabulary and comprehension
Focuses explicit vocabulary instruction on words that fall between two tiers-- words that students already know and those that are so rare as to be of little utility—and are used across content areas (academic vocabulary)
Leverages writing as a means to learn and develop—how students make sense of, synthesize, summarize, and evaluate their learning (not just to assess content learning)
Uses discussion and writing prompts to reflect on current understandings, questions, and learning processes help improve content-area learning
“Thinking more about where content area teachers can be most effective in supporting literacy learning… “
Ideas in vocabulary
…that vocabulary is strongly related to general reading achievement has remained unchallenged”
.“…while learning from context is important, direct instruction of vocabulary is effective in improving both vocabulary and comprehension. … both direct, explicit instruction and learning from context are important. … explicit instruction may be useful in closing the gap between the students with the highest levels of vocabulary knowledge and those with the lowest” (Kamil, 2003:10-11).

11. Beyond Appearances
It’s not about how students are arranged; it’s about the work in which they are engaged. Is instruction…? -Purposeful -Rigorous -Differentiated to meet student needs -Consistent with evidence-based practice -Aligned to TEM standards

12. The Gradual Release of Responsibility (to introduce or reinforce a new skill)
Teacher Responsibility
I do it.
Guided
We do it.
They do it (together).
Collaborative
This diagram was included to allow us to take a more concise, yet closer look at the Gradual Release model.
Determine how much you want to delve into this model after garnering principals’ responses to the whole group question.
Gradual release of responsibility…..from the work of Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey (2007)
“I do”: The teacher provides direct instruction, establishes goals and purpose, models learning expectations
“We do”: There is interactive instruction between the students and teacher.
“They do”: The teacher provides groups of students a similar task. Groups of students work cooperatively and collaboratively to practice and apply the newly learned standard, skill, or strategy. The teacher moves among groups, provides support and scaffolding, and clarifies misunderstandings.
“You do”: The teacher provides meaningful, differentiated tasks to individual or small groups of students that are aligned to the standard, skills, strategies. Students practice and apply new learning independently (without the direct support of the teacher). Afterwards, the teacher evaluates and provides feedback.
Independent
You do it (independent of the teacher).
Student Responsibility

13. Access Points to Build a Bridge Between Reader and Text (Frey & Fisher, 2013)
Establishing a purpose for reading a complex text, and modeling how an expert reader makes meaning
Providing scaffolded and close reading instruction to guide students through complex texts
Creating opportunities for collaborative conversations w/ peers to refine understanding
Moving them forward through independent reading of increasingly complex texts
Using formative assessment so teacher and reader know what is know and still needs to be
This is the process for the Gradual Release Model.
Teacher driven – “I do”
Teacher guided – “We do”
Flexible grouping – “They do”
Independent work – “You do”
Assessment

14. Reading and Writing in Science
Compare and contrast
Form hypotheses and draw conclusions
Understand the “big picture”
Determine the relative importance of information
Write about findings in learning logs
Write and discuss conclusions from lab reports

15. Reading and Writing in Social Studies
Sequence and make connections between historical events
Understand text structures and text features
Evaluate sources
Recognize issues and trends in context
Engage in reflective inquiry through reading and writing
Write about cause-and-effect relationships
Distinguish between and write about fact and opinion

16. Reading and Writing in Mathematics
Understand and describe processes
Translate abstract concepts into symbols
Distinguish patterns
In math journals, examine ideas and reflect on solutions
Write paragraphs to compare key concepts

17. Reading and Writing in Language Arts
Articulate thinking orally and in writing for various artists
Employ context clues
Interpret texts from different literary genres
Understand mechanical standards and rhetorical techniques
Develop fluency with the use of the writing process to generate different modes of writing
Connect reading and writing to persuade, learn, inform, and evoke emotions

18. Literacy “Look-Fors”-Content Area Literacy
Clearly identified/observed literacy and language objectives for each content area lesson
Research-based literacy strategies and practices implemented in lessons
Students read content-specific text and respond, with evidence, to text-based questions.
Students respond to text in ways that are meaningful, analytical, and authentic to the content area
“Given all we know about what works, these look-fors are meant as key ideas for teachers, coaches, and school and district leaders to keep in mind as we plan, observe, provide feedback on, and support (e.g., PD) instruction, especially over the next few months, as we get ready for full scale CLIP implementation in the fall. Now is a good time to begin to practice these general approaches, integrating the evidence-based strategies that you have learned about and that we’re highlighting here today.”

19. Poetry: The Rhyme and Rhythm of Reading Formative and Common Formative Assessment and Literacy

20. How Does Poetry Lend Itself to These Goals?

21. What is Poetry? po·et·ry ˈpōətrē/ noun
literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.

22. Why is Poetry Important?
1. Poetry is usually the first introduction to reading that a young student experiences.
Nursery rhymes
Hand games
Singing playground games
2. Poetry helps students develop the cadence and rhythm of reading.
Poetry allows the students to “hear” the tone and flow of words.
It builds the imagination of the student by incorporating “movement” into the words.
Body movements can be seamlessly integrated into poetry which aids in the grasping of the literary meaning of the poem itself.
3. Poetry allows a natural progression to reading.
It diminishes the chasm from early readers to proficient readers.
It allows students to embrace the written word by first introducing in a more casual fun, interactive manner.

23. Why is Poetry Important? (cont.)
5. Poetry tells a story.
Like a book or a selection in a book, poem/poetry tell a story.
Poetry has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Poetry usually has a conflict and a resolution.
Poetry has a setting.
In poetry, there are characters.
The poet has/had a purpose for the writing of the poem.
A poem provides an evidentiary component for high order questioning and thinking skills
6. Poetry can be incorporated across the curriculum.
Poetry can be used in Math teach patterns, and counting in math.
Poetry can be used in Social Studies to teach landforms and landmarks.
Poetry can be used in Language Arts to teach sentence structure.
Poetry can be used in Reading to teach setting, characterization, sequence, and author’s purpose (just to name a few)

24. Introducing Poetry to Emergent Readers

25. Introducing Poetry to Emergent Readers
When introducing poetry to emergent readers, we, as Library Information Specialists, must remember :
Poetry must be read with expression.
New vocabulary should introduced in context.
All the reading components, (settings, characters, and author’s purpose) are thoroughly incorporated into the lesson.
Make it fun!

26. Introducing Poetry to Emergent Readers
A tisket, a tasket,
A green and yellow basket.
I wrote a letter to my love,
But on the way, I dropped it.
I lost it yesterday.
I found it today.
But it was so filthy and dirty,
That I believe I’ll throw it away.

27. Introducing Poetry to Emergent Readers
After reciting or listening to the poem, A Tisket, A Tasket, let’s explore……
What is the main idea of the poem?
Are there any characters in the poem?
If today is Friday, on which day was the letter lost?
Recite the line that tells why the author “discarded, trashed, got rid of”the letter?

28. Introducing Poetry to Basic and Proficient Readers

29. Introducing Poetry to Basic and Proficient Readers
When introducing poetry to basic and proficient readers, we, as Library Information Specialists, must remember :
Narrative poems tend to closely mimic the text in the reading series.
Give clear, concise, explicit components that will be discussed.
Read with expression.
New vocabulary should introduced in context.
All the reading components, (main idea, settings, characters, and author’s purpose) are thoroughly incorporated into the lesson.
Make it fun!

30. Working with ESL and Sped Students
The techniques used to teach poetry to emergent readers are easily adapted for SPED and ESL students.
Discussion – How do you find these techniques work with ELS and SPED students?
Music?
Rhyming?
Reading Aloud or Along?
Audiobooks?

31. Poetry for Proficient Students.

32. Checking for Understanding
Facilitated Practice
Name ________________________________________
Date _________________________________________
Teacher’s Name _______________________________
Using only the information from the poem, Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe, fill in the blanks with the correct answers.
1. What genre of literature would this selection fall?
O fiction O non-fiction O poetry
2. What happened to Annabel Lee?
O She was shipwrecked O She died O She loved to sing by the sea.
3. Using the context clues, list two characteristics that would help you understand the definition of the
“seraph”.
__________________________ and __________________________________
4. Using those clues, what can you surmise a “seraph” to be?___________________________________________________
5. If we know that “kin” is a relative, what do you think a “highborn kinsman” is?________________________________________________________
6. Who is actually telling the story of Annabel Lee?_________________________________________________________________________________
7. Highlight the line in the poem that shows evidence of this person. Number this highlighter line 7.
8. Highlight the line in the poem that tells how long the author and Annabel Lee had loved each other.
Number this highlighted line 8.
9. Circle the word in stanza 2 that means “desired or wanted”.
10. Using context clues, what is another word for “sepulcher”? ______________________________________________________________________
11. In your own words, expound on what the author does each night since the death of Annabel Lee.
__________________________________________________________________________________ .

33. Some Poems I’ve Used to Enhance Reading Skills
Early Readers:
An Invitation to the Butterfly Ball – A Counting Rhyme -Jane Yolen
The Voice – Shel Silverstein
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes
Basic and Proficient Readers:
Annabel Lee – Edgar Allan Poe
Go Down Death – James Weldon Johnson
Mother to Son – Langston Hughes
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings – Maya Angelou