RPI 5 - Planning a Reading Programme

Creating a Reading/Literacy Programme

Connecting with Manaiakalani

Using class sites to empower students and whanau has been great and this really stood out during the pandemic and even when I am not in class as I am on a course (such as today). Students know what to do and where to find work as it has become routine.

Of course one of the great features of having all the learning in one place you can create options for students, one way is having 'Catch-Up' (Ketchup), 'Must-do' (Mustard), and May-do (Mayonaise) for them. I also love the sauce names for them.

Planning for Ambitious Outcomes

Class Sites feed into the Planning through the design for Ambitious Outcomes.

We also need to know what is happening before students get to us and where they need to get to or be for success in their following years of learning. So learning should be tracked in class and curriculum areas, school-wide.

As teachers, this helps us connect to previous learning and across the curriculum.

When planning for groups we can't afford groups to become stale, they need to be changed up and given opportunities to work in mixed-ability groups.

By tracking we can ensure a range of text being used fiction, nonfiction, long, short, poetry and video. 

Timetabling

When timetabling it is easy to forget special events and just plan for a week, but it is better to consider them and make adjustments. E.g. Plan a whole class activity if a reliever is in, or plan/build into a group session what will happen tomorrow.

Factoring in what the Teacher Aid is doing and with whom (if you are lucky). Even building in Tuhi Mai Tuhi Atu into the reading and writing part of the day as commenting on blogs is just that reading and writing for a purpose and audience.

Timetables can become more student-directed with a robust tracking/monitoring system. I like these ones with the various colours, making it easy for students to find what they need.

Reading Apps

Ensuring bang for your buck is important, as Reading Apps are not all made equally. 

I have used Read Theory and Literacy Planet Before and dived into structuring what students read and having questions and answer sessions tagged in, I just needed time to explore Epic which this school/class uses, so this was a great opportunity to do this.

I also like how Read Words has other aspects to the reading programme too

Tukana Teina (Buddy Reading) is not to be fogtten. The Must-do can also be follow-up activities that plug a gap you have noticed, through group work or testing.

Read Like Writer and Write Like Readers

As I love to write, I love this approach, which is well-researched. Throughout Manaiakalani students are strong in writing so we need to harness this to help accelerate reading. 

Using a writing frame is a great way to train students and yourself to write, as the pressure is on finding a few words, everyone can do. The idea we can create these by emulating text we read to students is helpful. And to be able to add creative license is also wonderful for the more able students. In other words, it doesn't have to fit the frame exactly.

Example

Ruapehu, early afternoon, no sound/ helicopter blades, snow, ravine, best friend, chomping at the bit, Will we make it?

The mountain was silent from up here even though it was early afternoon.  The only sound was the faint whirring of the helicopter blades in the distance. The ravine loomed before us Soft snow hung in the air as my closest friend chomped at the bit. Will we make it?

Text can be woven from other sources, all good writers use ideas, ideas from nature, what they hear people say and how they say it. Writers are MAGPIES, gathering words and phrases to file away for later. Writers love to people-watch.

Artists and Musicians replicate before they imitate...

Text that students read, can be used for more than recreating the beginning, you can even use ideas from novels. I often screenshot what I am reading (for pleasure) and share it with the class. And I love it when it is not a focus and they still identify features you have taught. Those are definitely "THEY GOT IT' moments!

Great Beginnings and Endings

One of my favourite ways to encourage students when writing a narrative is to start with an ACTION word, let's grab the reader from the first word, or use onomatopoeia.

Don't stop, at teaching students how to start writing, what about the ending? The Style Categories are working examples to help students identify what they are doing and the purpose.

Skill Builder - Inferring

A Picture says a thousand words

Key into Inference is a wonderful way to build students up starting with the sentence to infer from then a paragraph building to a passage.

Where to Next?

• Using more multimedia (videos) to support learning, prior knowledge (as an introduction or reminder)
• Keeping Reading Apps up to date with relevant learning materials selected along with independent choice
• Sharing Read like Writers and Write like Readers
• Build on Inference, teach the vocab behind the types too.

RPI - Reflection on Reading Responses

 Reading Response

I created my own reading responses, this was my next step. Little did I realise that was the focus of this week's session. 

The idea was for students to use them as follow-up activities while I was out of class. Unfortunately, I rushed and although I put the Learning Intention on the first slide by the time I had done the last slide I forgot to check back, to ensure I was still on the same path. (Yes it was still in the back of my mind) 

Going forward I have found the teacher note from TKI more helpful than I have in the past by just pulling out a few ideas relevant to what I am doing. The REV Up boxes we are also using have been helpful too as they have a task based on the learning intention for that box. E.g Compare and Contrast, Inferring, Identify the point of view...

Then I also added the part to remind students to blog their reading response

RPI 4 - Guided Reading & Comprehension

 Guided Reading with Targeted Comprehension

Background to Guided Reading

A Guided Reading approach is based on the extensive work in the 1960s of

Dame Marie Clay in supporting the reading development of young ‘at risk’ readers (Clay, 1985)

Where it fits in the pillars of practice and how previous sessions feed into comprehension in the 3rd pillar.

Regular and systematic Guided Reading instruction should be the grounding of all reading programmes, as seen here.

So we can see groups regularly and students know when it is their turn a timetable is vital, to help everyone stay on track. Not all groups need to be seen every day especially as we get further up in the school. I work with each group twice a week, I have a group that would benefit from more time and a group I could see less, building their independence, but we have some great discussions.

Guided Reading is one part of a balanced programme. 

• Reading aloud to the class is important as students can see you as a reader, but they can watch what you do when you make mistakes. - building fluency
• Shared Reading, is useful as an introduction to a shared or inquiry topic. - building shared vocabulary and understanding
• Independent Reading, allows students to find their place in the reading world by trying different genres and enjoyment for reading while consolidating learning.

1. Gather information about the readers to identify emphases.
2. Select and analyze texts.
3. Introduce the text.
4. Observe students as they read the text individually (support if needed). 
5. Invite students to discuss the meaning of the text.
6. 6 Make a teaching point.
7. Engage students in word work.
8. Extend understanding through writing about reading. (optional)
9. Reflect on the lesson and plan tomorrow’s lesson. 

This list is extensive but the idea is to pick one way to introduce the text, one way to discuss the text, and one teaching strategy for processing. I just like the way it was organised. (I hope to type it up, for easy reference.)

And from here we develop the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria to share with the students, as if they know what they are learning and why they will be more engaged.

Introducing Purpose and Text

Knowing the difference between background and prior knowledge about the subject or text is important. 

Prior knowledge is relevant and text-related knowledge the student might have before reading.

Background knowledge is about the text structure, author's purpose and information required to help comprehend the text.

We need to make vocabulary visible to help build understanding and fluency. Through word cards/flash cards, wall displays that could be student-constructed with post-notes (this allows students the opportunity to refer back and add to it at any time of the day), modelling books... and a create a friendly definition (not from Uncle Google).

Next is sharing the Purpose for reading, this can be done upfront, from the start of the lesson, or you can encourage reading for enjoyment and share the purpose as you move into the teaching point.

Reading through what a teacher says to a group was interesting and how we can break the session into 9 areas. I will admit I didn't get all the teacher responses correct initially. however, it was interesting how the teacher used specific dialogue to keep the group focussed and on task.

Observing Learners and Sharing that Information

How do we know what students are thinking and understanding while reading, if they only read in their heads?

There is a new strategy so we are not solely relying of Running Records. We can pick a focus and using the techniques or teacher cues form Running Records make notes for student next steps.  - not all ticks, the focus on next step Learning To Read (LtR)/WWW.

Here is one I did on a student's audio recording. It assesses students on expression and volume, phrasing, smoothness and pace.

Students could self-assess using these criteria too. 

This information is vital because how they read aloud is how they read in their mind and this will or could affect their Fluency scale - too fast is no good - no punctuation loss of understanding and inhibits their ability to infer, pace and phrasing - impacts comprehension

Like all information we gather from assessment, to help accelerate learning, we should share what we find with the student. 

Activating Prior Knowledge

On the last slide, there are some model templates to help with different ways to activate prior knowledge again we pick one, but it is important to teach students how to use them. I want to utilise these in my programme after going through them in more depth.

Independent Practice

I have included these slides as there are great examples I want to be able to reference. I like the idea of having all the graphic organisers in one place and teaching students how to use them. Giving them the option, later in the year, to pick one from the area or category required to consolidate their learning.

Where from Here:

• Create a bank of resources that my students are familiar with (after teaching the different GOs)
• Upgrading my Response to Text slides, so they include some of the above Graphic Organisers for independent follow-up and Activating Prior Knowledge.
• Check activities and questions on Response to Text slides to reinforce the LI and purpose for reading.

RPI - Text Coverage and Text Set

 Text Set and Coverage

I have been using text sets for a few years now, however, I still usually focus on using them for topic or inquiry studies. I look forward to using them in other ways to help promote writing.

As teachers, we are creating this poster and I would like to see what text students would add to it to reinforce reading and encourage writing.

The text coverage is part of the tracking sheet is helpful, I know I would previously think about the types of text but I can't say I provided a good balance and variety. I was focused on getting students to read and often used fun short narratives.

I have even gone back and realised that what I thought was nonfiction (had some truth) was actually a narrative. I have noticed, I have shared a few more texts across groups so I need to return and update this tracking sheet.