Interactive Read-Aloud and Shared Reading

Toe-to-toe, knee-to-knee, eye-to-eye. Who would have thought that three small phrases such as these ones could signal something so powerful among our students? When students are given the opportunity to share their opinions with a partner through this pair and share activity, their feelings and thoughts are not only validated, but their mind wheels are churning and we've got them thinking.
I really like this activity. I had never seen it executed until my first field experience at Stalker Elementary in Bedford, IN last semester. The kids seems to really enjoy this time, and I think it is really worthwhile. It definitely is time efficient as well.
One of the other shared reading activities that struck me was the "Dan the Flying Man" big book activity that Ms. Vale's class was creating from the video. I think creating any sort of product like a big book that the students can take ownership of and have a large hand in the creating of will really help make the activity that much more meaningful and engaging. From start to finish Ms. Vale had a plan and each step of the way she appeared to be gradually releasing more responsibility onto the students as she believed they were ready to handle it. I thought it was a great idea for her to start by reading the story and then go into a mini lesson which turned into a shared event by having the students pinch the word "and" on a page. Slowly but surely, they were making class lists and then, in pairs students were responsible for the creation of a page of the story. This is a great activity to do with students, and I really liked the gradual release of responsibility as well!

Poetry Workshop and Literacy Choices

I really enjoyed both of the class videos that we watched for this week's blog posting. When we got to view the classroom's Literacy Choices time, it reminded me of my 1st grade classroom at Fairview's Daily 5. It seemed like these students had a wider range of choices, which may be good for some students, who may tire of just the 5 activities to choose from. I have noticed that my classroom teacher switched the class's Daily 5 activities after a certain number of weeks, so I assume that they alternate on a quarter system. The Literacy Choices really allowed the students to do anything that they wanted as long as it related to literacy. It forced the students to be doing something, but students could be as engaged or as disengaged as they chose; however, they would still be getting something out of the activity. For example, I think the students writing comic books would probably get more out of this time than the boy who was copying a girl's name on the chalkboard; however, this boy was still writing and using visual cues to make meaning, so he was still taking advantage of his time.
I also liked the idea of a poetry workshop. When I was in third grade, my class had a poetry unit, but we only wrote our own poems and then created our own poetry book as an end result. I love the idea of performing the Choral pieces because it not only introduces students to a fun genre of poetry, but it can also help students with fluency, as they practice the piece multiple times until it sounds perfect.

Assessments and Sharing Information With Parents

I thought this chapter was very informative when it comes to different ways to "assess" students without giving formal assessments. Technically, when we observe our students in the classroom on a daily basis, we, as teachers, are able to see their progress and their weak points without a formal assessment, and we are therefore able to provide the assistance needed to help them grow and turn their weaknesses into strengths. In my opinion, I think one of the most beneficial informal assessments is an individual conference. In this setting, the teacher is not distracted by other students, and can completely direct her focus on the needs of the student. Then, the teacher can decide exactly what goals the student needs to set and exactly what they need to work on.
I also enjoyed the chapter with the information sharing scenarios. It was kind of a like a "Dear Abby" editorial in the newspaper. I felt like we were getting real advice from the source. I particularly liked the question about what to do, at home, when a child gets stuck on a word instead of simply saying, "sound it out". I think this can be the downfall of reading at home, and it is so important for parents to have a back up plan for what to say. Even as a preservice teacher, it is difficult for me to avoid "sound it out", and I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like for a parent who grew up thinking that this was the only way to learn to read. The advice offered here is invaluable, and I think sharing this kind of information with parents is really important. It might even be a good idea to include FAQs in a weekly blog that parents can read or the classroom online newsletter.

Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster

This upper elementary picture book, written and illustrated, by Debra Frasier is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all. This is a story about a 5th grade girl who misspells one of her vocabulary words, only to be ridiculed by her entire class; however, she turns this mishap into gold in the school's vocabulary parade.

I think this book is exceptional to use with upper elementary students. There are multiple elements to the story that make this not just your ordinary picture book. Throughout the story there are many vocabulary words that are homophones. This could be a good lesson for students. In addition, it could be a lesson about turning something negative into something positive. This story could also lead a class into having their own spelling bee or vocabulary parade. Both of these things are great things to do with classes that can really improve literacy and be fun for the students.

Overall, Miss Alaineus A Vocabulary Disaster, is a wonderful book, and I would recommend that every teacher use it in their classroom!