Why My Mom Made Me Read Doesn't Work

Student:  Hey Mr. McGuire, I read 594 minutes.

Me:  Wow, that's a lot of reading for two weeks.  That's great!

Student:  Yeah, I know:

Me:  So did you read that much because you like to read, or because your mom made you?

Student:  Hee, hee, the second one.

Me:   Hhhhmmm!

OK, let's think about this.   Students in The Reading Workshop have a weekly Read at Home assignment which is weighted so that the more they read, the higher the grade.  At home, this student has fake read over 3 hours a week, every week of the school year.  In addition, students read at least 2 hours a week during SSR. He sits, with a book, pretending to understand what he is reading.  

His reading log is fairly impressive.  He has 15 books listed, and many are excellent choices.  He has mastered the art of writing responses, even when you don't get the book. But there are 15 great stories, with exciting events, difficult problems and interesting characters that he missed out on.

It sure sounds boring to me.  It would be kind of like watching TV, with  the set turned off.  Freak the Mighty gets it, maybe Kevin can help him.

Stargirl Book Talk

Stargirl is a favorite of many realistic fiction fans.  Hannah shares Spinelli's book in the book talk.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

Why Book Talks are the Perfect Assignment

I think I found the perfect assignment.  Students volunteer to do it, and they mostly complete it on their own time.  In fact, there is a waiting list to do it next. They do their best because everyone will see their output.  When they do well, their work is showcased and saved for future students to attempt to emulate.

There are many skills involved with this assignment as well.  Students must read  a book, which is part of their Read at Home assignment.  They must comprehend the book, summarize it, and analyze for the most exciting part, which will hook future readers.  Students must consider the details and understand the characters.  

After all of this, students must present a book review in a practiced and polished way that will encourage others to read the book.  In their presentation and the preparation, they must use correct grammar.  They must have an exciting introduction, body, and closing.  Students must use many Web 2.0 skills  including researching and video editing, to create a final piece of work worthy of sharing worldwide.

Supplies needed are minimal.  Start with a good book.  Add a Flip video camera.  Download Openshot Video Editor.  Set up a YouTube account and you are ready to go.

This is the perfect assignment.  Students want to do it, work hard, do their best, use a lot of different skills, discuss great authors and books, and produce a final draft to share.  Then, when they finish I can brag about them and show off their work.  Whose next?

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/alwayscurious/85210566/sizes/s/

Among the Hidden Book Talk

The Shadow Children series, written by Margaret Peterson Haddix has been one of the most popular for adolescent readers the last few years.   Kate, a student in The Reading Workshop shares the first book Among the Hidden.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

On the Run, Chasing the Falconers Book Talk

Ian, a student in The Reading Workshop shares the first book in one of the most exciting series ever written. Watch On the Run, Chasing the Falconers, written by Gordon Kormon.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

Money Hungry Book Talk

Makayla shares Money Hungry written by Sharon G. Flake. To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

Stormbreaker Book Talk

Stormbreaker, the exiting book that starts the Alex Rider series is reviewed by Josh, a Reading Workshop student.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

You Can't Always Sound it Out

They just kept trying over and over, to sound out the word.  They broke it into two parts-- con and science.  Basically, the word was made of two words that they knew.  But together it didn't sound right.  

What's a group to do?  How about trying to sound it out another way?  Hhhmmm, let's see.   kɒns  kĭn  or as they were saying it cons kins.  Still, it didn't sound right.

Students, in groups of 3 or 4 were doing the assignment from How to Figure Out Those Hard Words.  This was a follow-up to the practice run through using the 2006 OAT.  Students had identified words from the questions that they didn't understand.  As this group started today's assignment, they coasted through the first three, and then they came to this word that they didn't know.

Unfortunately, they used one strategy over and over and over, and never did find the meaning of the word.  This led to a discussion of why we have more than one word attack strategy.  Hopefully the next time they get to a word they don't understand, their conscience will tell them to try other strategies like using context clues, word substitution, or using prior knowledge.

How to Figure Out Those Hard Words

Last week we listed difficult words from the 2006 OAT.  Today we looked at how we can figure out the meaning of the words. 

Which word attack skills works best?
S = Skip
C = Context Clues
ST =Substitute
PK= Prior Knowledge
SN = Sound it out
RT = Root word, Prefix, Suffix
CN = Connection
P = Picture
O = Other Strategy

______  barked--All afternoon, Uncle Orrin barked orders.
______  description--Support your description of each attitude with a specific detail.
______  symbolize--Which place symbolizes love and safety to Nathan?
______  conscience--the value of listening to one's conscience and being honest
______  intimidated--Why was Ella too intimidated to dance?
______  scat performers--What do the selection and the footnote suggest about scat . ..(this is defined in the footnotes)
______  footnote--What do the selection and the footnote suggest about the scat performers?
______  evaluation--Identify two factual details from the selection that support the author's positive evaluation of Ella.
______  factual--Identify two factual details from the selection.
______  amateur--A number of other amateur venues
______  venues--After her early success at the Apollo and as a popular performer at a number of other amateur venues . . .
______  analysis--To write a scientific analysis of why some frogs jump farther than others.
______  organizational--Which organizational tool would most clearly contrast the lengths of winning jumps?
______  contrast--Which organizational tool would most clearly contrast the lengths of winning jumps?
______  wilted--But she wilted under the glare of the spotlight.
______  star-struck--She was star-struck and she just sat there looking at everyone.
______  rental frogs--Rental Frogs includes which piece of information?
______  coachable--Frogs don't understand about money and they're not very coachable.
______  capacity--Having the capacity to be taught.
______  figurative language--In the poem, how does the poet use figurative language?
______  repetition--Explain why the poet makes this repitition.
______  personification--Which characteristic can be found in the poem?
______  dialogue--Which characteristic can be found in the poem?
______  emperor--Each emperor built a magnificent palace.
______  prosper--It also helped the Inca prosper.
______  terraces--Why did the Inca farmers build terraces to plant their crops?
______  ravines--Suspension bridges made of plant fibers spanned deep ravines.
______  spanned--Suspension bridges made of plant fibers spanned deep ravines.
______  priorities--What was one of the Inca government's main priorities?
______  adequate--To make sure everyone had adequate food and clean housing.

Word Attack Strategies

What strategies help you when you don't know a word?  Do you always use the same one?  Here are ways you can figure out the meaning of words you don't get.


1.  Do a Skip Test

Read the sentence without the word.

Ask yourself, do you need that word?

If not, answer the question without the word.

If you need to know the word, try another strategy.

2.  Can you figure out using context clues?

Read past the unfamiliar word and look for clues. If the word is repeated, compare the second sentence to the first. What word might make sense in both?

3.  Is there a word you can substitute?

Think about what word might make sense in the sentence. Try the word and see if the sentence makes sense.

4. Use Prior Knowledge

Think about what you know about the subject of the essay or passage. Do you know anything that might help you make sense of the sentence? Read the sentence with the word to see if it makes sense.

5. Sound out the word

Break the word into parts.  Look for the root word.  Divide the word into syllables.  Look for familiar beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).  Read each chunk by itself. Then blend the chunks together and sound out the word. Does that word make sense in the sentence?

6. Connect to a Word You Know

Think of a word that looks like the unfamiliar word. Compare the familiar word to the unfamiliar word. Decide if the familiar word is a chunk or form of the unfamiliar word. Use the known word in the sentence to see if it makes sense. If so, the meanings of the two words are probably close enough for understanding the new word.

7.  Visualize

Picture the passage.  Think about how the question relates to the passage.  Get a picture of what the question is asking.

Under a War Torn Sky Book Talk

Micah shares Under a War Torn Sky by L.M. Elliot in this book talk as part of his class in The Reading Workshop.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

Word Attack Strategies Survey

See the results here.

A Smile Spreader

Each morning Madison walks into the room, passing out smiles and hellos to everyone in her path.  She greets each student like a long lost friend, and lets them know she is glad to see them.  There are no rainy days in her world, and she wants every person she sees to join her in the sunshine.

This upbeat attitude has infected the whole class.  You cannot be around her without giving some of the smile back.  The next thing you know, even if  you are real careful, and try to prevent it, you give a smile to someone else, and on and on.  It's almost ridiculous how this epidemic spreads each morning.  

I started thinking about this as I was reading the We Teach, We Learn blog and found this link to research at Harvard and the University of California at San Diego by Dr. Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler.  They found that "happiness spreads through social networks like an emotional contagion."  

I don't need research to prove it to me.  I have to watch or I get caught up in it every morning. If this kid doesn't get to seventh grade before long, I may end up smiling all the time.  Naahhhh, probably not.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/joellecleveland/2581227771/sizes/s/

Spy X, The Code Book Talk

This book talk by Micah features book one in an adventure series.  Find out about Spy X, The Code by Peter Lerangis.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.

Thanks for sharing an exciting series of books, Micah!

What Words Students Don't Know--Achievement Vocabulary

Students frequently miss questions during an assessment simply because they don't understand the question.  Use of unusual or uncommon words is a common practice on the Ohio Achievement Assessment.  In addition, simple requests are often worded in a way that create confusion for the test takers.

To overcome this barrier, students went through the OAA 2006 test booklet that they just used as a practice test and highlighted all of the words in the questions that they didn't understand.  Once we compile this list, I will compare it to the vocabulary list from The Reading Workshop Achievement Vocabulary Page.  Also, I will use to to look for specific vocabulary and word attack needs.

• barked--All afternoon, Uncle Orrin barked orders.
• description--Support your description of each attitude with a specific detail.
• symbolize--Which place symbolizes love and safety to Nathan?
• conscience--the value of listening to one's conscience and being honest
• intimidated--Why was Ella too intimidated to dance?
• scat performers--What do the selection and the footnote suggest about scat . ..(this is defined in the footnotes)
• footnote--What do the selection and the footnote suggest about the scat performers?
• evaluation--Identify two factual details from the selection that support the author's positive evaluation of Ella.
• factual--Identify two factual details from the selection.
• amateur--A number of other amateur venues
• venues--After her early success at the Apollo and as a popular performer at a number of other amateur venues . . .
• analysis--To write a scientific analysis of why some frogs jump farther than others.
• organizational--Which organizational tool would most clearly contrast the lengths of winning jumps?
• contrast--Which organizational tool would most clearly contrast the lengths of winning jumps?
• wilted--But she wilted under the glare of the spotlight.
• star-struck--She was star-struck and she just sat there looking at everyone.
• rental frogs--Rental Frogs includes which piece of information?
• coachable--Frogs don't understand about money and they're not very coachable.
• capacity--Having the capacity to be taught.
• figurative language--In the poem, how does the poet use figurative language?
• repetition--Explain why the poet makes this repitition.
• personification--Which characteristic can be found in the poem?
• dialogue--Which characteristic can be found in the poem?
• emperor--Each emperor built a magnificent palace.
• prosper--It also helped the Inca prosper.
• terraces--Why did the Inca farmers build terraces to plant their crops?
• ravines--Suspension bridges made of plant fibers spanned deep ravines.
• spanned--Suspension bridges made of plant fibers spanned deep ravines.
• priorities--What was one of the Inca government's main priorities?
• adequate--To make sure everyone had adequate food and clean housing.

In one class, students averaged not knowing 6.75 words.  This would obviously lead to many missed questions.  We will spend the next few days working on word attack skills, looking for root words, prefixes and suffixes, and context clues, and we will spend the next few weeks improving vocabulary specific to achievement test questions.  This will allow students to show their ability on the 2010 OAA.
Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/missnita/471669682/sizes/s/

Students' View on Achievement Test Practice

Students took the 2006 edition of the Ohio Achievement Assessment.  This serves several purposed including a practice run-through, data regarding students' ability, projection data, areas of strengths and weaknesses, and specific needs prior to the actual test in April.

Here are a few of the students' thoughts, ideas, and opinions shared from a discussion after the test.

Cody--It is confusing.  Some of the questions are confusing because I wasn't sure what they were asking.
Joanna--I didn't like how a lot of the stories were nonfiction because they were harder to understand.
Karly--I would rather have poetry than nonfiction.  Poetry is easier to understand.
Kater--I wasn't sure how to put my thoughts into words on the extended response questions.
Hannah Hop--The test was frustrating.  I had to keep going back to the passage to find the answers.
Justin G.--The passages and the test were too long.
Joanna--Some of the words were hard and made it hard to understand.
Karly--Yeah, I didn't know some of the words and couldn't figure them out.
Brandon C.--The extended responses were hard and I need more practice so I can do them.
Hannah Hop.--The extended response questions made me mad, because they were so much harder to understand.
Branden M.--The extended response would mention something in the essay, and then say something else, then I would have to read the question again, because I forgot what it was asking.
Andrew--Some of the multiple choice answers didn't go with the passage.
Joanna--It took forever for the question to compare stuff from two passages because I couldn't find it.
Kater--On the multiple choice, if I didn't know the answer right off, I had to go back to the passage and check each answer to find the right one.
Hannah Hop--What are we supposed to do on the extended response if we have no clue what to answer?
Hannah Hop--It is very hard going back and forth.  The passages should be on one page and the questions and where you answer should be together.
Kater--The passages, questions, and answer sheet should all be separate.
Kennedy--It was pretty easy really.
Cierra--I got a headache when I was sitting there trying to take the test.
Alysha--I tried really hard and it took a long time.
Kennedy--Is the real test going to be twice as long? (Basically, except one test passage was omitted)
Tyler S.--It was hard sitting there for two hours.
Justin P.--I kept getting distracted.
Hannah Har--We need more breaks.
Kennedy--There were words I didn't know.
Katie H--They had definitions to a lot of the words at the bottom of the page.
Heather--It seemed like I was being rushed.  I was afraid I wouldn't get done.
Katie H--If there is one more passage, I don't know if I can get it done in time.
Hadley--It made me really tired.
Makayla--Some of the questions were very confusing.  Most of the words were ones I didn't know.
Savannah--There were a lot of extended responses.
Madison--Some of the things were like what I had done before on Study Island.
Hadley--I didn't like having it in the morning.
R.J.--The word bank confused me because they gave more than one meaning for the word.  I would think I knew the answer, but then I looked at the definition and I wasn't sure.
Ian--The two frog jumping passages were confusing because they jumped back and forth and you didn't know which one they meant.
Caleb--Some of the passages were long, and that made them harder.
Hannah C--The cause and effect question was hard because I hadn't done any in a while.
Hadley--Students would do better if the passages were more interesting.  If they are not interesting, kids won't do as well because they just won't care as much.
Madison--Taking the test in the morning made us brain dead the rest of the day.

I Am the Wallpaper Book Talk

This book talk by Cierra features the realistic fiction, I am the Wallpaper written by Mark Peter Hughes.  To see all of the book talk videos, you can visit The Reading Workshop Book Talk Wiki page.



Great job to Cierra for her enthusiastic presentation!

Why Test Prep is Like Running into a Brick Wall

Boy are students in Reading Workshop about to be surprised.  They may not be crash dummies, but they are headed for a wreck.  After six months of reading and writing, of discussion and learning, of  thinking and blogging, things are about to change.  Woohoo, it is time to get ready for the Ohio Achievement Assessment (this used to be the OAT until they decided we needed a new acronym).

Let's see, we start with pull out for intervention.  Then we add pull out for test taking skills.  Next is pull out students with IEP's so they know what they have to do for the test.  Then, it is my turn to go to the office and run off about 73,000 copies of old test passages about engaging stuff like what makes a dummy crash, with thought-provoking questions for students to answer.

Don't get me wrong.  I think I believe that the test is important.  When I go to grade level meetings next year, they will determine if I am a hero, or a zero.  Students will be placed in seventh grade based on the ability  they show on the test.  So they must do well.  Our school will be evaluated based on students showing they are better test takers than last year. So obviously the test is important.

Why will students feel like they hit a wall next week?  Stay tuned as we discover the answers to these questions and find out why dummies keep running into brick walls, or something like that.

Image from http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodigreen/1674032402/sizes/s/

Gotta Keep Reading

Ocoee Middle School celebrates reading with this video based on the Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling in Chicago where thousands do the Flash Mob dance on the Oprah show.  Enjoy the celebration of Gotta Keep Reading.

Reading Workshop students, what does reading mean to you? Have your feelings about reading changed this year? Have you found books that make you want to read more? Tell me about you as a reader.

Why Their Matters

Recently, a local newspaper published an announcement about help with homework for students.  However, in their listing, someone obviously needed to proofread.  I really don't know about ACTS, but I can't help but be slightly concerned about the quality of help that students will receive.

Obviously, someone is making a lot of effort to help the youth in their community.  And maybe I am just being a picky language arts teacher.  Maybe I have screamed so much about PUGS this year, that I just cannot let it go.  However, if you are going to publish anything, and especially if it has to do with students, it must be right.

No one is perfect.  In fact, I missed an editing mistake on the first draft of this post (I know that shocks my students.).  However, published works should be correct.  And homework helpers probably should know which their/there to use when they color do a craft (see the end of ad if this does not make sense).