Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 1

Course 5044: The Literacy Caf: Menu for Success Karen Southwick August 15, 2011

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 2 From the CAF text Chapter 1 1. My school relies on research-based assessments. My students are assessed with DIBELS, Measured Academic Progress (MAP), Proficiency Assessment for Wyoming (PAWS), and the district writing and reading assessments. Each week my students are given word lists to read, a timed reading, and a selection test. We have monthly reading and writing goal meetings to determine strengths, progress, and strategies. According to the team, I have sufficient researchbased information about my students reading abilities. However, I agree with the authors. I would like to spend more time working with my students one-on-one or with small groups. The small group and individual time spent with teachers is the most valuable tool in assessing. My current assessments assess fluency and comprehension well. Unfortunately, my district is not consistent. The methods for teaching, assessment tools are not uniform within the district. 2. Fair is not always equal. This is a daily struggle for teachers. I have students that are very capable of working on an independent project or activity, some reasonably independent given enough instruction and minimal support, and then a few who need more than I can offer a hundred percent of the time. These kiddos cannot work independently because they cannot read the directions or material necessary to complete the assignment. I need to spend a great deal of time supporting and helping them do their work. I want all my students to succeed but my struggling readers need more time and attention. Frequently, feel like I let my high students down because I have to depend on them to do a great deal of independent work or help me by working with peers. I do not have a classroom assistant, and so I often rely on peer tutoring. Often, I feel guilty of utilizing peer

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 3 tutoring. However, I do not have any other options. I look at my struggling readers who truly struggle to sound out each word and make some sense of the meaning of the material. I know they require more time and attention. I have to give them everything I can to help them close the reading gap. Fair will never be equal in education; fair is does not mean equal in life either. Chapter 2 3. I would like to try using the calendar, reading conference form, and the CAF Menu. The

calendar would free me from the children that demand attention. Setting a specific time to meet with the child would help me stay on task and be sure to spend time with each kiddo. I think I would benefit from using a timer, too. I would also know how often I conference with each child. The Literacy CAF Menu is a valuable tool. Having the different strategies on a form would save time and remind me of strategies I may not think to try. This information in a tree ring binder would be ideally handy. The reading conference sheet would organize a great deal of information about each child. Not only would I have the information to make instructional decisions but also I have data for parents and school administrators. It would also be a great way for my kiddos to review their progress with me during conference time. Tracking the reading conferences provide a sequential method of implementing strategies and instruction. Chapter 3 & 4 4. I have not used conferencing for many years. I encountered many problems with conferencing and discontinued the practice. However, at my new school it is a requirement. The problems I had were not getting to each child and time. I gave my struggling students more time and did not seem to get to my high achieving students. I would attempt to complete a running record and then

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 4 discuss the problems and strengths with each child. I never found an organization system that worked for me. I like the one-on-one conferencing with the children. I learned a great deal about the child as a reader and a person. The 7 Steps of Individual Conferences will be a great tool. The steps are logical and well organized. The steps provide a guideline for conferencing. Using the steps organizes the conferencing time and issues. The components of the pensieve keep records organized. Even if conferencing were not mandatory, I would still do it this year using the steps and the pensieve. 5. Stan the principals question was excellent. I have often read books or attended

conferences where I have received just enough information to try but not enough to succeed. Stans question forced the authors to understand that other teachers did not know what they did automatically. The first step in answering Stans question would be to demonstrate the use of the reading conference tool. The icons provide a visual cue in the conferring steps. Thus providing scaffolding for the new teacher. The authors also developed a checklist for coaching toward a target. Step 1: Check for scheduled appointments with children. Also check the Keeping Track form to make sure all children are having conferencing time. Step 2: Review the childs last conferencing notes. Step 3: Observe the child reading. Listen for fluency, accuracy, and understanding. Listen for the areas that need improvement as well as the correct elements. As you listen to the child, take notes as to what kind of intervention the child will require. Step 4: Teach and reinforce the targeted skills. Keep the instruction limited to small

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 5 increments. Step 5: Have the child practice the new skill or strategy. Continue until the child demonstrates their ability to practice the skill independently. Step 6: Make your plan for the next conference. The child may need to be seen the next day or in few days depending on their reading needs. Step 7: End the conference by encouraging the child. 6. Conferencing is directed at general topics while coaching is directed toward a specific goal.

What is the child reading? When will the child be finished with the book? Coaching deals with specific topics. While coaching, teachers provide the adequate information and practice to have the child develop necessary reading skills. Coaching is directed at specific skills and strategies for one child. As a teacher, I see the value in both conferencing and coaching. Conferencing keeps children on task and held accountable for their reading. Coaching helps to develop the needed skills to improve their reading. Chapter 5 7. a. Devon, a sixth grader, working on summarizing. Devon is struggling with succinctly summarizing. The author listens to Devon and notices

his summary had too many details and was very lengthy. Devon was reminded about when the whole group worked together on writing statements to check for understanding, then use these to produce a summary. The author tells Devon to read the next two chapters and write a statement for understanding. She would check back with him in two days. b. My district is very focused on writing and writing in reading. The district developed

writing prompts last year for reading. One of the prompts deals with summarizing. There are

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 6 rubrics that go along with the prompts, but not in kid friendly language. Teaching children to summarize succinctly is a vital skill that will continue to help them in all academic areas thoughtout their educational career. Chapter 6 8. a. I have to teach whole group lessons on strategies often. Unfortunately, they are the lessons

from my district approved reading series. As the authors mentioned, the lessons are too long and I spend too much time trying to keep the students on task. My district is embracing active engagement. Therefore this year I have used students sharing with partners frequently. In the past, I have called this peer tutoring. I use this element throughout the day and subjects. b. Teaching strategies whole group has been difficult. The reading series lessons are too long

and the children begin to zone out. My class stays far more attentive when I use students sharing with partners. Every child has an opportunity to share his or her ideas. The one problem I have encountered is that finding the right partner pair is sometimes a challenge. This varies year to year with the make-up of classroom community. Chapter 7 9. The authors decided to change from ability grouping to strategy groups in order to meet the students needs. An ability group may have children reading at the same level but each child may need different strategy instruction. It became obvious to the authors that they were not meeting the needs of their students by using ability grouping.

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 7 When I began teaching, I was a reading tutor. First of all I had no idea where to begin or how to progress. I had students from kindergarten to fifth grade. I had to group students. No matter how I grouped, it was not effective. I did notice each child had a different learning difficulty. It was apparent to a very inexperienced teacher that the same instruction would not work for each group. This was long before the development of all the assessment tools that are now available. Today I am still struggling to give my students the support they need for different strategies. I am convinced that strategy groups will meet my students needs far better than ability grouping.

From The Daily 5 text Chapter 1 10 b. Rely on the teaching of independence I struggle with having my students work independently daily. I have to admit this years class was very challenging. I have several serious behavior issues and I spend most of my time monitoring behavior. Even though it was a sixth grade class it felt like a room of emotional needs children. Teaching students to be independent would be such a relief. I would have the opportunity to work with children beyond monitoring behavior. I find it disturbing that I had so many students at this higher-grade level that could not work independently. When I asked about them from previous teachers, the answer I received was, Oh yeah, they were always like that! 10 a. Provide substantial time to read and write This year I had 90 minutes for reading and 90 minutes for writing. It is also the first year I had a writing program to teach. I saw a lot of growth with this much time dedicated to reading and writing. The two subjects were taught at different times, but interwoven.

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 8 10 a. Teaching students to understand and monitor their literacy goals My district recently began using MAP (Measurement of Academic Progress) an SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) to monitor student growth. I conference with students each quarter set goals and to monitor their progress. Having the students monitor their own literacy goals helps them internalize their own success. I often heard conversations among students about how much they grew and what their next goal would be, it was putting the responsibility into their hands.

L 11. anguage-Fundamentals of Writing 90 minutes- whole group before lunch Reading-Balanced literacy Students read at their own level. Conferences for each child 90 minutes daily

Language Arts Spelling and grammar 45 minutes per day

In the past thirty years I have seen children do many things I did not believe they could do at their young age. The biggest roadblock is underestimating young children. Children are very capable when given the instruction they need and the freedom to implement the independent skills. The key is providing the necessary instruction and practice before requiring the independent work.

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 9 Chapter 2-No Response needed Chapter 3 13. Rainwater by Sandra Brown Purpose-To enjoy a good story Interest-Yes, it is a story set in the 1930s in Texas. A woman with an autistic child runs a boarding house survives hard times. Comprehend-I understand the story and enjoy reading it Know-I know most of the words and they are easy for me to read 14. Muscle memory is important when launching a new routine because to activate the kinesthetic system, kinesthetic learning experience need to be provided and labeled so children hear and feel what they are doing. The movement is stored in muscle memory and becomes part of their default behaviors. Chapter 4 15. Reading pictures is the first method to read a book. Early readers can gain a great deal of information from the pictures. When I was a reading tutor I would frequently use picture walks with children for many years and they are highly successful. Even nonreaders can enjoy reading the pictures. Read the words is the second method to read a book. Using pictures to support text is a great resource for beginning readers. Even emerging readers use a combination of text and pictures to read a book.

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 10 Finally retelling the story is a good strategy to practice reading. Retelling or rereading a known text helps develop many skills. Fluency improves with repeated readings of text. Retelling events helps to develop comprehension. Chapter 5 16. Reading partners do not have to have the same reading abilities to be successful. The more capable reader is still reading at their level when reading different books with their partner. Even advanced readers benefit from fluency practice. This is a time when the advanced partner can model fluency for another child, which increases fluency awareness. Each child is responsible for using comprehension strategies thus increasing comprehension. Each child has the opportunity to be a coach and review strategies for identifying unknown words. Even the best readers need strategies to learn new words. Reading partners receive and give a great deal of support to each other. Successful partners help each other learn new skills and improve existing skills. The partners do not have to be reading at the same level to achieve these goals. 17. Restless students or those who medical issues, which decreases attention, are always a

challenge. To help these students succeed I will need to make specific choices for the Read to Someone time. First, I would carefully select their partner. These children need a calm, patient partner. Some children are not sensitive to special needs of other children. The second strategy would be the reading location. The reading spot needs to be as free from distractions as possible. This includes the partners reading nearby as well. The final strategy would be the length of time the children were asked to read. Special needs children often need modification for the regular classroom. Finally, I would offer my special needs children the use of fidgets. I have an array of gadgets for children to use whether it be for movement or simple the kinesthesic feel.

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Chapter 6 18. I currently use marker boards, paper, construction paper, and spiral notebooks. All these supplies would work in the Writing and Word Work time. 19a. Use of technology Using a Smart board or a Promeanthean board would be helpful in many ways. First, I think of paired reading. Wouldnt it be great to establish a SKYPE relationship with another classroom and a child could pair read to another child in a different state! Then when writing occurs sharing writing over SKYPE, blog, or website. Children could even send voice threads to one another. Finally, seeing their work on a large display or part of a website will build confidence and be a great parent communication tool. Chapter 7 20. One area I anticipate trouble is in assessments. I agree with the authors answer to this issue. Many districts would accept the running records, anecdotal records, Developmental Reading Assessment, and individual reading assessments as documentation of student progress. However, my district mandates me to give certain assessments to students.

Application Requirement
Application Requirement 1: Incorporation of The Daily 5 See Power Point Application Requirement 2: Take Away

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 12 I have become increasingly discouraged with the direction my district is heading in reading. The district is mandating more and more of my reading block. The result is my children are not learning to love reading. I have been searching for ways to bring the love of reading back into my classroom. I believe the Daily 5 is a way to bring the love and joy of reading back into the classroom. I am still struggling to find a way to manage the mandated curriculum and initiating the Daily 5. I believe with some creative planning I may be able to weave the two together. I know I will not be allowed to abandon the district curriculum. I also know I will be facing an uphill battle to even implement a small section of the Daily 5. However, I am determined to try to provide my students with an opportunity to experience the Daily 5 framework. Application Requirement 3 Option 2-Foundational Principles The Daily Five introduces the six foundational principles: Trust, Choice, Community, Sense of Urgency, Stamina, and Stay out of the Way. Each principle is essential to the operation of the Daily Five. My district has adopted a balanced literacy brain-based curriculum. I am mandated to teach the material. The first part of my reading block is dedicated to whole group instruction. The remainder of the time is small group or individual (which I hope to get better at implementing.) At this time the children work in ability groups. The remainder of the reading block is whole group instruction. My advanced students learn the material in the first day. My struggling students need more time. The whole group instruction is directed to my on-level readers. Introducing the Daily 5 in my classroom would be a way to address the needs of my advanced and struggling students. The first principle I would like to introduce in my class is choice. At this time there is little

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 13 choice for my students. Choice is very motivating for children. Implementing the Daily 5 word offer my students choice. The weekly skills could be practiced at every level. My struggling readers and advanced readers would simply work at different reading levels. My district provides a great deal of support for the struggling readers. The advanced readers are supposed to enrich themselves. The Daily 5 provides the framework for enrichment and remediation for children. The second principle I would like to introduce is stamina. My students struggle to read silently for 10 minutes. Half of my students last year were diagnosed ADHD. Muscle memory is a concept that makes sense. The concept of building stamina is very interesting. I am planning on trying this method next fall. Taking the time to build stamina would certainly be worth the effort if successful. Having children stay on task for longer periods of time would provide time to work individually with students. All the principles working together sound like an effective way to teach literacy. Each principle has value, however choice and stamina would be an excellent addition to my literacy program.

Option 4-Literacy and Special Needs I will teach third grade grade this coming year. I will have a student who attended several schools with a terrible attendance. She has been in second grade the entire year with good attendance. However, she is very far behind her peers. She also has difficulty staying on task. Although her parents have not yet taken her in for a medical evaluation, I would believe she might have ADHD. I have attempted to have her evaluated by our building intervention team however due to lack of educational opportunities the team has decided to wait. Cassidy is currently reading at a late first grade or early second grade reader. Her listening

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 14 comprehension is excellent. Her reading comprehension is very poor. She uses so much energy to sound out words that she loses the meaning. Also at this point in the year she should be reading at least 120 words per minute. The Daily 5 has offered several strategies to use with Cassidy. The first strategy would be to have her Listen to Reading. She loves to hear stories. Years ago I had students listened to recorded books. The children followed along in the book as they listened to the tape. Cassidy would enjoy this activity. She would hear fluent reading modeled and learn new vocabulary. The next strategy would be Read to Someone. Cassidy would partner with a more fluent reader and she would hear the fluency. I plan to demonstrate the way to find a good fit book to the entire class. This will be very valuable to my entire class. Angie will benefit from this strategy by learning how to find the books that will be at her level. The Daily 5 lends itself beautifully to differentiation. Each child is working at its own level. This is an opportunity to provide Angie with the specific skills and strategies she needs to grow as a reader.

Option 4-Writing Conferences I am always looking for ways to improve my writing instruction. The authors have developed a sound method of conferencing with students. The first step is to check the calendar for appointments. I usually wait for students to finish pieces before I conference with them. Then there are the habitual conferencers, the students who want to show me each sentence. Using this method would allow me to check on all my students in a structured manner. I would also be available to help the students at every step of the writing process. By scheduling conferences my time will be used more effectively and with equity for all

Karen Southwick: Course 5044 Page 15 students. Scheduling conferences gives me the flexibility to schedule more conferences with my struggling writers while still allowing me to spend time with all my students. The next step is to be prepared for the conference. Using the strategies and forms provided by the authors, I would be prepared to use my conference time effectively. The conference forms are designed to record the plan for each child. Having the plan already prepared is a great time saver. The plan is easily reviewed. I will be able to discuss the plan with the child and evaluate progress toward the goal. Step three is observing and listening to the child read their writing. At this time I will determine the progress the student has made toward their goal. Step four is determining whether or not the student has mastered the targeted skill. If the child has mastered the skill we will celebrate the success. If the child has not mastered the strategy, they will continue working toward mastery. At this time I may need to create some strategy groups. Step five is planning what to do next. We will decide what new strategy is needed to help the child continue to improve. The new strategy will be taught and recorded on the students plan. I will also schedule the next conference with the child. The amount of time between conferences depends on the childs needs. A struggling writer will have conferences scheduled more frequently than a grade level writer. The final step is to encourage the child. I will congratulate the child on their success. I will also encourage them to continue working toward their goal. Noticing the small steps is encouraging when a child is working toward a goal. I look forward to using the conference method with my students. I believe this is an excellent way to improve my writing instruction.

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