A Closer Look at A Closer Look at Reading Reading

MiniMini--lessonslessons

Conference HandoutsConference HandoutsPresented by: Donnie SkinnerPresented by: Donnie Skinner

UALR Literacy CoachUALR Literacy CoachBoone Park ElementaryBoone Park Elementary

What is a What is a “WORKSHOP” “WORKSHOP”

approach?approach?The workshop method enables instructors to The workshop method enables instructors to function as the "guide on the side," rather than as a function as the "guide on the side," rather than as a "sage on the stage.""sage on the stage." Those using the workshop Those using the workshop method do not focus on telling students method do not focus on telling students information.information. Instead, they essentially create learning Instead, they essentially create learning experiences that guide, direct, and facilitate the experiences that guide, direct, and facilitate the acquisition of new knowledge by the learner.acquisition of new knowledge by the learner.

What is a READING and WRITING What is a READING and WRITING workshop approach?workshop approach?

Workshop starts with Workshop starts with TIMETIME: Time for : Time for studentsstudents to: to: readreadwrite write talk talk think think

The structure also offers The structure also offers teachersteachers time to:time to:teach miniteach mini--lessonslessonsobserve observe take notes take notes confer with studentsconfer with students

Because students often choose what they read and write, they devBecause students often choose what they read and write, they develop OWNERSHIP of their learning. elop OWNERSHIP of their learning. As they begin to use newly taught strategies that make them moreAs they begin to use newly taught strategies that make them more skilled readers, writers, and skilled readers, writers, and learners, they are able to access more and a greater variety of learners, they are able to access more and a greater variety of materials, increasing their confidence materials, increasing their confidence and sense of and sense of ownershipownership..

ResponseResponse

RESPONSERESPONSE is built into workshop instruction by:is built into workshop instruction by:

Questioning and clarifying strategies during Questioning and clarifying strategies during minimini--lessonslessons before before students adapt them to their own learningstudents adapt them to their own learningTeacherTeacher--student conferencesstudent conferencesSmallSmall--group workgroup workNotebooksNotebooksLogs Logs Sharing sessionsSharing sessions

By experiencing By experiencing genuine discourse, considering and building on their ideas of otgenuine discourse, considering and building on their ideas of others, hers, finding evidence in what they read, and sharing their workfinding evidence in what they read, and sharing their work, students develop as a , students develop as a COMMUNITY of learners COMMUNITY of learners ☺☺..

What is a What is a Reading MiniReading Mini--lessonlesson oror“Strategy“Strategy--based Comprehension Lesson?”based Comprehension Lesson?”

Focuses on teaching a Focuses on teaching a particular strategy to enhance particular strategy to enhance comprehensioncomprehensionOften grounded in using Often grounded in using quality literature to teach a quality literature to teach a strategystrategyImmediate application of the Immediate application of the strategy is recommendedstrategy is recommended

Important Characteristics of a Important Characteristics of a MiniMini--lessonlesson

Explicit and focusedExplicit and focusedSpecificSpecificBRIEF BRIEF

Demonstrates a particular skill or strategyDemonstrates a particular skill or strategyPlanned according to the needs of the Planned according to the needs of the whole classwhole class

The Architecture of a The Architecture of a MiniMini--lessonlesson

Our miniOur mini--lessons begin with the lessons begin with the connection.connection.

Next we Next we teachteach students something we’d like them to try.students something we’d like them to try.

Then encourage Then encourage active involvement active involvement by usually giving our children an by usually giving our children an opportunity to “try it” or “have a go.”opportunity to “try it” or “have a go.”

We We linklink the minithe mini--lesson to the ongoing work of today’s workshop and lesson to the ongoing work of today’s workshop and the students’ lives as readers and writers. the students’ lives as readers and writers.

At the end of the workshop, we often gather students together toAt the end of the workshop, we often gather students together toshare share to followto follow--up on the miniup on the mini--lessonlesson..

Adapted from: Adapted from: The Art of Teaching ReadingThe Art of Teaching Reading, by Lucy Calkins, by Lucy Calkins

Mentor Texts OR Anchor BooksMentor Texts OR Anchor Books

What are they?What are they?Quality literature to be used for teaching the Quality literature to be used for teaching the craft of writingcraft of writingQuality literature to be used for teaching Quality literature to be used for teaching comprehension strategiescomprehension strategiesRead many times to the students for different Read many times to the students for different purposespurposes

Using Literature in Our Reading Using Literature in Our Reading MiniMini--lessonslessons

Great books as well as the authors Great books as well as the authors who wrote them serve as our who wrote them serve as our mentors and inspirationmentors and inspirationA good reader identifies which A good reader identifies which kinds of strategies work for which kinds of strategies work for which kinds of text, thus understanding kinds of text, thus understanding the goal is to always create meaning the goal is to always create meaning while readingwhile readingUsing a variety of texts in our miniUsing a variety of texts in our mini--lessons allows children to see how lessons allows children to see how they have to constantly adjust their they have to constantly adjust their strategiesstrategiesThe love you show for great The love you show for great literature spills over into the lives literature spills over into the lives of your studentsof your students

Think AloudsThink Alouds

The teacher verbalizes The teacher verbalizes her thoughts aloud while her thoughts aloud while reading the text to the reading the text to the studentsstudentsThe teacher models her The teacher models her thinking about the text thinking about the text so the students can see so the students can see the strategy applied in the strategy applied in contextcontext

During the Reading MiniDuring the Reading Mini--lesson, we lesson, we want to: want to:

Make our thinking visibleMake our thinking visibleShow children that reading is thinkingShow children that reading is thinkingShow children how to interact with the textShow children how to interact with the textBring forward the process of strategic readingBring forward the process of strategic readingTALK about comprehensionTALK about comprehensionSHOW students comprehensionSHOW students comprehensionShow students that reading is way beyond Show students that reading is way beyond decoding the words on the pagedecoding the words on the page

HOWHOW do we decide what to teach?do we decide what to teach?

The lessons do not come from a manual of miniThe lessons do not come from a manual of mini--lessons, but from our own lessons, but from our own observations of readers and writers. We decide what to teach byobservations of readers and writers. We decide what to teach by our…our…

ObservationsObservationsMental NotesMental NotesDiscussions with the groupDiscussions with the groupIndividual conferencesIndividual conferencesAnecdotal RecordsAnecdotal RecordsOngoing analysis of students reading and writingOngoing analysis of students reading and writing

Looking at anecdotal records to Looking at anecdotal records to find out what we need to teach…find out what we need to teach…

Read the conference records carefully. Read the conference records carefully. •• What patterns do you see emerging from this What patterns do you see emerging from this

particular class?particular class?•• What are some things you would teach in a What are some things you would teach in a

minimini--lesson based on what you have observed?lesson based on what you have observed?•• How would you plan the lesson for this group How would you plan the lesson for this group

of children?of children?

The Reading and Writing MiniThe Reading and Writing Mini--lessonslessonsConnectionConnection

What you teach in reading transfers to what you teach in What you teach in reading transfers to what you teach in writingwritingWhat you teach in writing transfers to what you teach in What you teach in writing transfers to what you teach in reading reading ☺☺!!Everything you do is connected!Everything you do is connected!ReciprocalReciprocalOne system feeds into anotherOne system feeds into another

That’s when real teaching happens and real learningThat’s when real teaching happens and real learningoccurs occurs ☺☺!!

Remember:Remember:

Reading is Reading is alsoalso about processabout processMiniMini--lessons are based on a lessons are based on a “gradual release of “gradual release of responsibility”responsibility”“Talk about your thinking, “Talk about your thinking, decisions, and about how the decisions, and about how the strategy works and how you strategy works and how you will use it”will use it”

Stories need to be Stories need to be experienced first, then we experienced first, then we can teach from themcan teach from themPut yourself in the place of a Put yourself in the place of a fellow readerfellow readerStudents don’t learn to read Students don’t learn to read merely by the lessons we merely by the lessons we teach…they learn to read by teach…they learn to read by reading reading ☺☺!!

Resources/ReferencesResources/ReferencesThe Art of Teaching Reading and The Art of Teaching Writing The Art of Teaching Reading and The Art of Teaching Writing by Lucy Calkinsby Lucy CalkinsCraft LessonsCraft Lessons by Ralph Fletcher & Joanne Portalupiby Ralph Fletcher & Joanne PortalupiCraft Lessons to Stretch Young Writers;Craft Lessons to Stretch Young Writers; When Students Write Video Series, Tape 4, When Students Write Video Series, Tape 4, by Ralph Fletch & Joanna Portalupiby Ralph Fletch & Joanna PortalupiDeveloping Independent Learners; Exploring Literature in Third GDeveloping Independent Learners; Exploring Literature in Third Graderade Video Series, Video Series, by Linda Dorn & Carla Soffosby Linda Dorn & Carla SoffosEffective Literacy Participants ManualEffective Literacy Participants Manual Arkansas Department of EducationArkansas Department of EducationGuiding Readers & Writers Grades 3Guiding Readers & Writers Grades 3--66 by Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnellby Irene Fountas & Gay Su PinnellIn the Company of ChildrenIn the Company of Children by Joanne Hindleyby Joanne HindleyInside the Reading and Writing WorkshopsInside the Reading and Writing Workshops Video Series by Joanne HindleyVideo Series by Joanne HindleyScaffolding Young WritersScaffolding Young Writers by Linda Dorn & Carla Soffosby Linda Dorn & Carla SoffosShaping Literate Minds, Shaping Literate Minds, by Linda Dorn & Carla Soffosby Linda Dorn & Carla SoffosSnapshotsSnapshots by Linda Hoytby Linda HoytStrategies That WorkStrategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey & Anne Goudivisby Stephanie Harvey & Anne GoudivisReading With MeaningReading With Meaning by Debbie Millerby Debbie MillerTeaching Writing Teaching Writing by Jo Phenixby Jo Phenixwww.arliteracymodel.comwww.arliteracymodel.com