Module 4: Reading Reflection

Looking across Chapters 10 and 11, which of the understandings and strategies in the comprehensive literacy program are you already addressing/doing with your students (or have you done, or do you plan to do)?

As I read through Chapters 10 and 11, I found that I am doing many of these activities in the comprehensive literacy program with my class.  My grade level is departmentalized, which means that each of us teaches separate subjects and the students switch classes.  I teach reading and integrate Social Studies strategies into my reading class which means I teach 4 reading/social studies classes. 

Activities in comprehensive literacy program that I currently do: 

Read Alouds- I do read alouds, but not necessarily everyday.  I try to read picture books to my students that address issues we are currently discussing in Social Studies (Pink and Say- Civil War, The Memory Coat- Immigration) and I have read a novel (Number the Stars) out loud to them. We have discussions about these books and it benefits all the students in the class but it seems to have greater effects on the ELL and Special Education students because they are able to hear a more difficult book being read to them and they are hearing the comprehension discussion that takes place after the read aloud is completed. 

Guided Reading- I have students grouped by their Fountas and Pinnell Reading level (which I know now is big no no) but have also pulled certain students who share the same difficulty with certain skills.  So I do a little of both.  Last year it was a bit more difficult to do guided reading groups but I have done them in the past with my 4th graders and found that students greatly benefited from those group meetings.  I used to meet at a teacher table in the back of the room, but have more recently met on the floor with students.  

Sustained Reading- I love letting students read for enjoyment.  I have a lot of students who love to read and those students are always begging me if they can just read that day and often seem very disgruntled when I have to pull them for a group.  I haven't explored the idea of using books on tape with my 5th graders but tried to do it with my 4th graders a few years ago and found my resources were limited.  I like how the book gave me ideas of where to find other books on tape or recorded books so I may search those websites to find some that are more appropriate for upper grades.  

Individual Reading conferences- I tried my very best to keep up with this as best I could.  I had a folder set up with note cards and on each note card was assigned a student and I would jot down notes, skills, or fluency documentation on the note cards.  I kept a class list on the front of the folder to write down the dates I met with those students.  I found myself meeting with each student about every 2 weeks.  I like how Weaver's book gave a very concise direction for the conferences, so I am going to integrate those into my conferences. 

Literature groups- I have used lit circles in the past, but usually used them in my classroom after CRCT was over and we had about 2 months until summer.  I found it very overwhelming to use that during the rest of the school year, even though the benefit is great, but always ended up using it at the end of the year in order to keep students engaged. 

In the writing section I have done the write aloud, sustained writing, individual writing conferences, and journals.  I incorporate as much as I can into my reading/Social Studies class now though. 

I would like to use shared reading, literature groups, and improve on the inquiry/reading to learn aspects of the comprehensive literacy program.  If my grade level ever goes back to teaching all subjects to our homeroom class, I would like to use more of the shared writing, guided writing, and inquiry/writing to learn.