Thinking and reflecting on Jesse's read aloud to the whole class makes me realize that even students who are normally resistant to reading do find joy in reading fun, and witty poetry that has a strong sense of rhythm. In this particular case, both Jesse and Nathan were into the process of listening to the read aloud, and were eager to be involved in reading the poem aloud. Poetry is definitely a type of reading material that is less intimidating to readers. The reason why I advocate in this can be supported by Westby (2005). When reading a narrative story, for instance, The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, it requires readers to be active thinkers by doing the envisioning, inferring, predicting, and retelling work because the story itself consists of goals and intentions of the main characters, Elizabeth, Ronald and the Dragon. As students read this story, we push them to think and be aware of the characters' desires, emotions, and actions in an ongoing process as the story unfolds itself. As they read longer stories, students are required to be even more committed to using their narrative content schemata and text grammar schemata to develop understanding. Therefore, thinking back to the last two cycles, this may be one of the possible reasons why the two boys were not completely engaged in reading picture books even though they were their choice, since they were constantly being pushed to read critically.
Miller (2002) asked herself a question, 'in addition to picture books, what type of text is best when children begin to become more adept at making mental images on their own? What type of text bridges whole-group work and independence? The answer is poetry" (pp. 80). After assimilating what Miller said, I began to strongly believe that poetry does have the quality to engage readers to read in a less intense manner. Miller also said that poetry is appealing because they are short and 'thought-provoking'; they allow readers to envision images. The most important point she advocated is that through her personal experiences and observations, she has learned that 'best decoders aren't necessarily the most thoughtful readers, nor are the most thoughtful readers necessarily the best decoders' (pp. 80). Miller has definitely advocated me that poetry has a powerful magic that allow readers to create images to provoke personal interpretations that is an enjoyable process. As this part of the cycle continues, I am going to implement and encourage the use of shared reading and visual arts to enhance motivation and reading stamina.
3.27.2008
Poetry Reading - Jesse
The poem that Ms. Jane introduced today is called Things, written by Eloise Greenfield. The class did a shared reading today on the rug. Ms. Jane read the poem aloud to her students with expression while she tapped a beat on her thigh. The students began bobbing their heads and went along with the poem. During the read aloud, I noticed that Jesse and Nathan were really into the poem. Jesse even tapped along with Ms. Jane and mouthed the words to himself. After the whole class had read aloud the poem a few times, Ms. Jane invited couple students to go up to the front and read the poem to the whole class. Jesse raised his hand high up in the air, waving, hoping to be picked, and he did. Jesse and another student, Joanne, read the poem together. Please click on the media player on the top left corner of this page titled 'Exhibit 19 Reading Poem' to listen to Jesse and Johnise read aloud to the class.
3.24.2008
The Rationale of Cycle #3
After cycle #2, I have had a much deeper understanding of the two boys, in respect to their learning habits, behavior, preferences, and abilities. In cycle #2, I had an opportunity to introduce a variety of texts, which included a number of picture books that contained characters and plots that they were able to relate and connect to. Aside from reading aloud to them, I also provided them opportunities for them to identity themselves as readers by knowing their personal preference and choosing just-right books. This has definitely improved their motivation and increased their stamina in reading, especially for Nathan.
Having this large piece of observation and data in front of me, I began to think about what other types of texts that could motivate them. After discussing with Ms. Jane (host teacher), I found out that the next unit of study is poetry, then I began to think: 'Alright, so poetry! What kind of interesting work could I introduce to these kids?' Almost immediately, I thought of ENVISIONING.
From various articles that I have been reading for my research, there are some assumptions that have been made by educators. For example, Moloney (2002) advocates that the types of books that boys like to read are: action fiction, books in series, science fiction, or fantasy, and non-fiction materials. So I began to ask myself, how can I break away from these assumptions that boys only enjoy reading materials that are aforementioned. Could boys also enjoy poetry, and be creative poets and write about things that matter to them and that they can relate to? Knowing that Ms. Jane is going to introduce poetry, I decided to go along with her plan and think of some interesting ways to capture these boys into reading. In this cycle, I am going to let the students to assimilate the art of poetry by doing shared reading, and a lot of work on envisioning using art form to display and express their thinking about texts.
As Calkins (2001) describes, shared reading consists of multiple re-readings that involves both parties: teachers/adults and children. This kind of accountability allows both adults and children to experience more social interaction during reading time, hence helps develop children's identity as a reader.
Having this large piece of observation and data in front of me, I began to think about what other types of texts that could motivate them. After discussing with Ms. Jane (host teacher), I found out that the next unit of study is poetry, then I began to think: 'Alright, so poetry! What kind of interesting work could I introduce to these kids?' Almost immediately, I thought of ENVISIONING.
From various articles that I have been reading for my research, there are some assumptions that have been made by educators. For example, Moloney (2002) advocates that the types of books that boys like to read are: action fiction, books in series, science fiction, or fantasy, and non-fiction materials. So I began to ask myself, how can I break away from these assumptions that boys only enjoy reading materials that are aforementioned. Could boys also enjoy poetry, and be creative poets and write about things that matter to them and that they can relate to? Knowing that Ms. Jane is going to introduce poetry, I decided to go along with her plan and think of some interesting ways to capture these boys into reading. In this cycle, I am going to let the students to assimilate the art of poetry by doing shared reading, and a lot of work on envisioning using art form to display and express their thinking about texts.
As Calkins (2001) describes, shared reading consists of multiple re-readings that involves both parties: teachers/adults and children. This kind of accountability allows both adults and children to experience more social interaction during reading time, hence helps develop children's identity as a reader.
Moving on from Cycle # 2 to Cycle # 3
Exhibit 18
Jesse's Log, page 1
Jesse's Log, page 2
Jesse's Log, page 3
Nathan's Log, page 1
Nathan's Log, page 2
Nathan's Log, page 3
Nathan's Log, page 4
Nathan's Log, page 5
Nathan's Log, page 6
Nathan's Log, page 7
Nathan's Log, page 8
Looking at the two boys' reading log (exhibit 18), I can tell that both of them has begun to develop a more independent reading habit. Although Jesse has shown very limited and inconsistent progress in engagement in reading in this cycle, at times, he was still able to grasp the concept taught, namely making self-to-text connections to the main characters in a whole-class setting. Right now, I am leaning toward to be concern about Jesse's behavior problem more than his disengagement in reading and learning. He seems to be very reluctant in reading and learning most of the time, however, when he has set his mind to do it, especially when he is not told to do it, he naturally does it. I am not sure as how to tackle this concern. On the other hand, Nathan has definitely shown an increase in motivation in reading. Showing him steps to pick 'just-right' books, introducing him to texts that he could relate to, and teaching him how to make connections are indisputably elevating his engagement and accountability in reading.
Jesse's Log, page 1
Jesse's Log, page 2
Jesse's Log, page 3
Nathan's Log, page 1
Nathan's Log, page 2
Nathan's Log, page 3
Nathan's Log, page 4
Nathan's Log, page 5
Nathan's Log, page 6
Nathan's Log, page 7
Nathan's Log, page 8
Looking at the two boys' reading log (exhibit 18), I can tell that both of them has begun to develop a more independent reading habit. Although Jesse has shown very limited and inconsistent progress in engagement in reading in this cycle, at times, he was still able to grasp the concept taught, namely making self-to-text connections to the main characters in a whole-class setting. Right now, I am leaning toward to be concern about Jesse's behavior problem more than his disengagement in reading and learning. He seems to be very reluctant in reading and learning most of the time, however, when he has set his mind to do it, especially when he is not told to do it, he naturally does it. I am not sure as how to tackle this concern. On the other hand, Nathan has definitely shown an increase in motivation in reading. Showing him steps to pick 'just-right' books, introducing him to texts that he could relate to, and teaching him how to make connections are indisputably elevating his engagement and accountability in reading.
3.13.2008
Reflection for minilesson # 2
The minilesson I taught today is in fact inspired by one of Debbie Miller's concept (2002). She clearly explains and transcribes one of her reading minilesson in her book, Reading with Meaning, in this minilesson, she incorporates the use of charts in her whole-class think aloud lesson. She transfers her students' thinking to the chart which evidently displays their text-to-self connections with the character and story. I took this idea and fitted it in my minilesson, anticipating that students would be engaged to make connections to the two stories, Ruby Sings the Blues and Alexander, the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day that they showed great interest in last week.
When I first introduced the teaching point, children tend to be a little bored, and uninterested in the topic, especially Jesse. But as soon as I modeled it with the book that I read aloud before, Ruby Sings the Blues, they just loved it! Nathan showed great interest to talk about who Ruby is, and what she does, and how she reacts to the problem. Many of the other students were raising their hands and wanting to take part of the discussion and the completion of the T-chart. They were able to identify what I put on the t-chart, for example, ‘Ruby shut down herself after school, she didn’t talk to anyone. She was quiet.’ Nathan then raised his hand and said, ‘yeah, that’s her action, how she acts when she is being treated unfairly.’ I was very glad that he picked that up right away. Another girl, Jewel also shared her similar experiences. I brought up Jewel’s example and complimented her that she was making great connection by actively thinking about her and Ruby. Generally, students responded well to this lesson. On the other hand, Jesse was having some time-out during the workshop. Like most of the time, he rarely fully participates in workshops. I am not sure how much he is getting though. I am very worried. I am wondering if I should provide him a checklist of teaching point/good readers strategies, so that he is aware of all the things that he can do during reading. I am not sure if this will help.
As a result, the students were generally responsive in the active engagement part because both stories involve characters whose actions and experiences are 'authentic' and familiar to them.
When I first introduced the teaching point, children tend to be a little bored, and uninterested in the topic, especially Jesse. But as soon as I modeled it with the book that I read aloud before, Ruby Sings the Blues, they just loved it! Nathan showed great interest to talk about who Ruby is, and what she does, and how she reacts to the problem. Many of the other students were raising their hands and wanting to take part of the discussion and the completion of the T-chart. They were able to identify what I put on the t-chart, for example, ‘Ruby shut down herself after school, she didn’t talk to anyone. She was quiet.’ Nathan then raised his hand and said, ‘yeah, that’s her action, how she acts when she is being treated unfairly.’ I was very glad that he picked that up right away. Another girl, Jewel also shared her similar experiences. I brought up Jewel’s example and complimented her that she was making great connection by actively thinking about her and Ruby. Generally, students responded well to this lesson. On the other hand, Jesse was having some time-out during the workshop. Like most of the time, he rarely fully participates in workshops. I am not sure how much he is getting though. I am very worried. I am wondering if I should provide him a checklist of teaching point/good readers strategies, so that he is aware of all the things that he can do during reading. I am not sure if this will help.
As a result, the students were generally responsive in the active engagement part because both stories involve characters whose actions and experiences are 'authentic' and familiar to them.
Minilesson # 2
Teaching Point: Good readers get connected with their main character by thinking about their similarities and differences, such as likes/dislikes, what they experience, how they think and act.
Materials Needed: Chart paper Picture books – Ruby Sings the Blues and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Connection: Readers, today we are going to talk about how good readers make connections to the character in the book they are reading by thinking about their similarities and differences. Have you ever thought of knowing your character more, and understand them better so that you can get into the story more, and become more interested in it, and wonder why he/she did that, or say, ‘oh, I would do the same thing!’ Let me show you what I mean. Because characters are like humans, like us. And when we know them better, and put ourselves in their shoes, we can get ourselves into reading the story.
Teaching:Remember Ruby Sings the Blues? First of all, Let me try to remember who Ruby is. Ok those are all true. Now, what I can do is make a t-chart like this: So some people were saying how she acts, or behaves, or how she feels about people disliking her.
(The following should be in a T-Chart, but I am not able to create it on this blog)
Ruby
1. She is a nice girl
2. She is loud
3. She gets upset that nobody likes her
4. She solved the problem by switching herself off
Me
1. I think I am a nice girl too
2. I am soft
3. I would get upset too
4. I would probably cry
So now, what I can do is, I can look at this T-chart, and think about, hmm… wow, I am kind of like her, than I am a nice girl, but I am soft, so maybe that’s why I have never been teased this way. So now, it makes me wonder how does one feel when she is being teased. And I keep going down the list, nobody likes her, and she becomes quiet. And now I look at how I would do, I am pretty similar to her when we face this problem. So I am really getting myself into her shoes, and this story has become more interesting to me, because, I can keep adding on this list, and see what I would do differently or similarly.
Active Engagement: Ok, let’s see you do it. Remember the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Let’s brainstorm something about Alexander and put it on the t-chart. Ok, now I want you to turn and talk to your partner and share how you two are the same and different. Great boys and girls. Who wants to share? Good work.
Link: Good job readers. So today you learn that good readers make connections to the character in the book by thinking about their similarities and differences, so that they can understand the character better and get more into the story they are reading.
Materials Needed: Chart paper Picture books – Ruby Sings the Blues and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Connection: Readers, today we are going to talk about how good readers make connections to the character in the book they are reading by thinking about their similarities and differences. Have you ever thought of knowing your character more, and understand them better so that you can get into the story more, and become more interested in it, and wonder why he/she did that, or say, ‘oh, I would do the same thing!’ Let me show you what I mean. Because characters are like humans, like us. And when we know them better, and put ourselves in their shoes, we can get ourselves into reading the story.
Teaching:Remember Ruby Sings the Blues? First of all, Let me try to remember who Ruby is. Ok those are all true. Now, what I can do is make a t-chart like this: So some people were saying how she acts, or behaves, or how she feels about people disliking her.
(The following should be in a T-Chart, but I am not able to create it on this blog)
Ruby
1. She is a nice girl
2. She is loud
3. She gets upset that nobody likes her
4. She solved the problem by switching herself off
Me
1. I think I am a nice girl too
2. I am soft
3. I would get upset too
4. I would probably cry
So now, what I can do is, I can look at this T-chart, and think about, hmm… wow, I am kind of like her, than I am a nice girl, but I am soft, so maybe that’s why I have never been teased this way. So now, it makes me wonder how does one feel when she is being teased. And I keep going down the list, nobody likes her, and she becomes quiet. And now I look at how I would do, I am pretty similar to her when we face this problem. So I am really getting myself into her shoes, and this story has become more interesting to me, because, I can keep adding on this list, and see what I would do differently or similarly.
Active Engagement: Ok, let’s see you do it. Remember the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Let’s brainstorm something about Alexander and put it on the t-chart. Ok, now I want you to turn and talk to your partner and share how you two are the same and different. Great boys and girls. Who wants to share? Good work.
Link: Good job readers. So today you learn that good readers make connections to the character in the book by thinking about their similarities and differences, so that they can understand the character better and get more into the story they are reading.
3.11.2008
Reflection - Minilesson on Library Visit
The rationale behind this minilesson, as mentioned is to provide students a chance to be exposed and to be able to select from a wide range of reading materials. Patricia Cunningham and Richard Allington (2002) support teachers to implement a multilevel self-selected reading program, which is part of a balanced literacy program that allows children to choose what their reading materials, and which parts of their reading they want to respond to. This type of approach benefit children because it gives them the opportunity to be exposed to a wide range of literature through read alouds by teachers, it encourages children's reading engagement, it provides instructional-level reading, and finally, it build intrinsic motivation for reading (2002).
In this minilesson, I thought that I gave out too much information and I was a bit skeptical that they wouldn’t be able to grasp all the concepts, i.e., choosing by genres, authors, and series and writing them down on post-its, and remembering the three-finger rule. However, the children seemed to get the idea that most of them showed interest and enthusiasm during turn and talk, and whole class share. Nathan, one of my focal students for MARP, has shown an increase in accountability by doing what he was told, and using post-its to write down his preferences. On the other hand, Jesse was having an unpleasant day. He was upset that I did not call on him when he wanted to share because he was talking out of turn. However, after finding out that his intention was to share with the whole class about Amber Brown books, I felt somewhat glad that he was actually interested and engaged in my lesson. During library time, the kids took their post-its and searched for books. Some kids were still eager to take out books that are beyond their reading levels. One girl was upset because she said that all the books she wanted to read are too hard for her, and she had no motivation to read books at her level, because she found them too ‘babyish’. Nathan and Jesse managed to get books they wanted, although slightly higher than their level, however, the whole point of my MARP is to get them motivated. Jesse said he will be bringing the Junie B. Jones book home and read with his mother, and Nathan said he would be reading his book with his big brother.
In this minilesson, I thought that I gave out too much information and I was a bit skeptical that they wouldn’t be able to grasp all the concepts, i.e., choosing by genres, authors, and series and writing them down on post-its, and remembering the three-finger rule. However, the children seemed to get the idea that most of them showed interest and enthusiasm during turn and talk, and whole class share. Nathan, one of my focal students for MARP, has shown an increase in accountability by doing what he was told, and using post-its to write down his preferences. On the other hand, Jesse was having an unpleasant day. He was upset that I did not call on him when he wanted to share because he was talking out of turn. However, after finding out that his intention was to share with the whole class about Amber Brown books, I felt somewhat glad that he was actually interested and engaged in my lesson. During library time, the kids took their post-its and searched for books. Some kids were still eager to take out books that are beyond their reading levels. One girl was upset because she said that all the books she wanted to read are too hard for her, and she had no motivation to read books at her level, because she found them too ‘babyish’. Nathan and Jesse managed to get books they wanted, although slightly higher than their level, however, the whole point of my MARP is to get them motivated. Jesse said he will be bringing the Junie B. Jones book home and read with his mother, and Nathan said he would be reading his book with his big brother.
Action - Minilesson 03/11/2008
Teaching Point: Good readers prepare themselves for library visits by thinking about what books they are interested in, and remembering the ‘just right books’ or the ‘three-finger’ rule.
Needed: Chart paper Books Library access
Connection: Readers, last week, you have learned that good readers think about the main character in their books by making note of his/her feelings, actions, and if they would be a good friend or not. Today, we are going to visit the library at 11:10and before we go, I want you to know that good readers prepare themselves for library visits, and one way to do it is by thinking about what books they are interested in reading, and remembering the just right books rules. So in other words, they think about the genres that they like (mystery, humor, nonfiction etc.), or series like Junie B Jones, Magic Tree house, etc., or they favorite picture books, and they also remember what are just right books, because you don’t want to get a book that is too hard or too easy for you. It is important that you get the book that you can finish from cover to cover, and something that you enjoy reading.
Teaching: So, let me show you what I mean. There are lots of books in this basket, and so, imagine in the library, there are 10 times more!! So it is very hard to pick something if you don’t know what you want, because I know that you have a time limit there, and unfortunately, you can’t stay there all morning. So here, I am going to write down some of my choices on a post-it note so I can bring this down, and remember what I want when I go down to the library later. So let me think… [I know last week, I read a picture book called Ruby Sings the Blues, I also read some Henry and Mudge books, so what do I want to read now? I know l like picture books a lot. So let me write that down on my post-it, [picture book], and I like the Henry and Mudge series, but I also heard good things from Jacari about Junie B. Jones, so I am going to give it a shot [writing on post-it], and I am going to choose one more, just in case, I can’t find a good picture books, or if Junie B. Jones is not my reading level. Hmm… let me see. I know I haven’t been reading any non-fiction, and what do I like the most? I really like dolphins. So maybe I can look for books about dolphins or sea mammals. Great, so now that I have the list with me, I am sort of ready to go. But, when I go down there, I need to see if those books are ‘just right’ for me. How do I know? Well, there is the three-finger rule. [show chart], you can do this by reading the first page of the book and if you miss how many [question], right 3 words or more, then that book is too difficult for you. And what if you only missed 2, or 3 words? Right, then it is a just right book [demonstrate]. Good, so when a book is too easy for you, you will probably not miss any words at all, and that’s when you can pick something a bit more challenging.
Active Engagement: So let’s see if you can do it. I want you to close your eyes now, and think of 2 kinds of books that you really want to read, and one for backup, just in case the two books you want to get is not available. Remember, you can choose books by genres, series, authors, books you have read before, or books you’ve heard about before. Thumbs up when you have three kinds of books, now turn and talk to your partners, share the books you are going to pick, and remind each other what the three-finger rule is. Go.
Link: Great job readers. So today, you have learned that good readers prepare for library visits, and one way they do it is by thinking about what books they are interested in reading, and remembering the three-finger rule. So when you go back to your seat in a second, I am going to hand out post-its so you can write your book choice down, and then we are going to read for 30 minutes independently. Then, at 11:10, we are going down to the library, and you may bring your post-it with you so you know what books to pick. Are you ready to do some ready? Great!
3.10.2008
The Second Read Aloud for Cylce # 2
The read aloud I did today is called Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I did a short book introduction with the whole class by asking them if they have experienced a very bad day where everything seemed wrong and unfair. Then, I stated that one thing good readers do when they listen to read aloud is to pay attention to the character’s internal thinking, by asking, ‘how would I feel if I were him/her?’
This picture book, like Ruby Sings the Blues invovles a story that is also 'authentic' in children's perspective. Throughout the story, Alexander encounters a series of unfair situations where his voice and comments have been neglected. The plot of this story is definitely something that the students could really relate to. During the read aloud, I asked some open ended questions that allowed them to turn and talk to their partners. Questions such as, 'is Alexander's day getting better? What's going on now?', 'if you were Alexander, when you you get blamed for pushing someone, how would you feel?', and 'what would you do if your parents or teachers don't care about your concerns?'.
During turn and talk, and whole class share, I found that the students were significantly more responsive to picture books with characters and actions that they could relate to. The students were extremely excited to find out what Alexander was going to face on the next page. They found some very humorous parts as well, which engaged them a lot. When they shared in turn-and-talk, I heard Nathan and his partner, Janeally, having a conversation about Alexander’s voice is not being heard by adults, which made him very mad and upset. And after the read aloud, we discussed how Alexander felt, and what caused his frustrations. Many of them, including Nathan were able to relate their personal experiences, where they expressed their concerns, but their parents/teachers didn’t listen. They found this type of situation very unfair and irritating.
On the other hand, Jesse showed less interest in this particular book compared to Ruby Sings the Blues. He did not want to participate in turn and talk, and whole class share. However, his concentration was still evident to me, and my fieldwork supervisor, Megan, who was observing me that day. An interesting note from Megan, saying that during the read aloud, Jesse was sitting at his desk (because he tends to focus better and not distract others in his spot) and was complaining to Megan that he could not see the pictures due to where he was sitting. With this particular point in mind, I had to carefully consider Jesse's reading spot for next time. I have a strong feeling that Jesse could have been more engaged if he sat with others on the rug. However, this leads me to another concern is that, how could I be sure that Jesse would be focused and not distract others if he had joined everyone on the rug.
As we have been discussing a lot in our LITI classes last term, when doing a read aloud it is important to consider the technique in holding the book and sharing the illustrations. Every child, even third graders in this case can be aided by pictures in meaning making. Modeling this interaction between the text and illustrations can guide students to attend to the details in the illustration to enhance their understanding and interest. This is something that I should carefully considered in the future.
3.06.2008
Independent Reading Observation
Exhibit 17 
During independent reading, I observed Jesse closely (see exhibit 17). As I walked over to him and asked if he had set a goal for today’s reading, he was very reluctant. As I observe him more, I notice that he is very resistant to instructions. By the time I left him alone, he started reading on his own. However, it was still an on and off process. I believe that some days, I just couldn’t get him to work and read. It seems like the more attention I give to him, the more reluctant he becomes. Any suggestions?
During independent reading, I observed Jesse closely (see exhibit 17). As I walked over to him and asked if he had set a goal for today’s reading, he was very reluctant. As I observe him more, I notice that he is very resistant to instructions. By the time I left him alone, he started reading on his own. However, it was still an on and off process. I believe that some days, I just couldn’t get him to work and read. It seems like the more attention I give to him, the more reluctant he becomes. Any suggestions?
Reading Conference with Nathan - Curious George
Exhibit 16 
Like Jesse, Nathan was also eager to read Ruby Sings the Blues again. Today, he asked me if he could read the book during independent reading, and I was more than happy to let him do so. I was excited that both boys have shown immense interest in this book because of various reasons - characterization, plot, and illustrations. In exhibit 16, it clearly shows that Nathan was able to read for a longer period of time now, as compared to two weeks ago. Even though he changed books every ten minutes or so, he still managed to be consistently reading independently without leaving his seat for thirty straight minutes. After he read Ruby Sings the Blues independently, he read Curious George with me. We talked a lot about Curious George's character, and he told me that he enjoys reading Curious George's books because of the fun characterization. Here is part of our conference transcription:
Me: Tell me what Curious George is doing here.
Nathan: He is trying to get him (his owner) a Christmas present!
Me: Right, but then he can't find him.
Nathan: Yeah, but I know Curious George will. He is such a good monkey. He always cares about others. And he is always happy.
Me: Is that why you like reading Curious George's books so much?
Nathan: Yeah. I love the books because they are so fun to read. Curious George has a kind heart, and that's sort of like me because I always care about my friends.
From this short transcription, I can be sure that choice and preference can surely elevate Nathan's motivation in reading. This is supported by Taylor and Lorimer (2003) in their article called Helping Boys Succeed. They refer to one of Muir's literature (2001), and agree that offering a diverse choice of reading materials to students that are related to their interests can immensely lead to motivation and result in achieving literacy skills. In this particular situation, the reading materials that Nathan was exposed to was a major factor that encouraged and motivated him in reading for a longer period of time.
Like Jesse, Nathan was also eager to read Ruby Sings the Blues again. Today, he asked me if he could read the book during independent reading, and I was more than happy to let him do so. I was excited that both boys have shown immense interest in this book because of various reasons - characterization, plot, and illustrations. In exhibit 16, it clearly shows that Nathan was able to read for a longer period of time now, as compared to two weeks ago. Even though he changed books every ten minutes or so, he still managed to be consistently reading independently without leaving his seat for thirty straight minutes. After he read Ruby Sings the Blues independently, he read Curious George with me. We talked a lot about Curious George's character, and he told me that he enjoys reading Curious George's books because of the fun characterization. Here is part of our conference transcription:
Me: Tell me what Curious George is doing here.
Nathan: He is trying to get him (his owner) a Christmas present!
Me: Right, but then he can't find him.
Nathan: Yeah, but I know Curious George will. He is such a good monkey. He always cares about others. And he is always happy.
Me: Is that why you like reading Curious George's books so much?
Nathan: Yeah. I love the books because they are so fun to read. Curious George has a kind heart, and that's sort of like me because I always care about my friends.
From this short transcription, I can be sure that choice and preference can surely elevate Nathan's motivation in reading. This is supported by Taylor and Lorimer (2003) in their article called Helping Boys Succeed. They refer to one of Muir's literature (2001), and agree that offering a diverse choice of reading materials to students that are related to their interests can immensely lead to motivation and result in achieving literacy skills. In this particular situation, the reading materials that Nathan was exposed to was a major factor that encouraged and motivated him in reading for a longer period of time.
3.03.2008
Reading Conference with Jesse - Ruby Sings the Blues
Exhibit 15 
After read aloud, Jesse was extremely eager to read Ruby Sings the Blues. I told him that he needed to wait until independent reading time to do so. So during
reader’s workshop, Jesse could not wait to read Ruby Sings the Blues ; he even invited me to join him. He was very engaged in the pictures and Ruby’s character. When i sat beside him, he was eager to read aloud the story to me all over again. During his read aloud, he imitated her voice with expression (see exhibit 15).
From the observation/ conference notes, it is blatant that Jesse could not stop asking questions while he was reading. He asked questions that he showed great interest in; he really wanted to know more about Ruby, and at the same time, he also wanted to make text-to-self connection. For instance, he was really into the story because he noticed that Ruby lives in an apartment like him. He also told me that Ruby’s neighborhood also looks like his neighborhood. For every page he read, he paused to look at the illustrations carefully and tried to decode Ruby's life and her neighbors' lives in the community.
Linking this particular conference back to Kathy Sandford's article (2006), she mentions that today, literacy and gender have a great intersecting complexity in schools. This is mainly due to the diverse types of text and their presentation in our society. For example, with the vast exposure of social and technological situations, children are looking at literacy in a perhaps, 'different' perspective. 'Literacy now relates to a much broader set of texts including visual, multimodal, and digital tet that appear in many forms all around us' (p. 304). The diverse types of texts such as billboards, magazines, the Internet, and many others are overpowering traditional school texts such as information texbooks, and novels. Having this piece of important information in mind, I have to be absolutely sure that the books I choose and offer to my students are pertinent to their preference so that they could be engaged in reading, thus increase their motivation.
After read aloud, Jesse was extremely eager to read Ruby Sings the Blues. I told him that he needed to wait until independent reading time to do so. So during
reader’s workshop, Jesse could not wait to read Ruby Sings the Blues ; he even invited me to join him. He was very engaged in the pictures and Ruby’s character. When i sat beside him, he was eager to read aloud the story to me all over again. During his read aloud, he imitated her voice with expression (see exhibit 15).
From the observation/ conference notes, it is blatant that Jesse could not stop asking questions while he was reading. He asked questions that he showed great interest in; he really wanted to know more about Ruby, and at the same time, he also wanted to make text-to-self connection. For instance, he was really into the story because he noticed that Ruby lives in an apartment like him. He also told me that Ruby’s neighborhood also looks like his neighborhood. For every page he read, he paused to look at the illustrations carefully and tried to decode Ruby's life and her neighbors' lives in the community.
Linking this particular conference back to Kathy Sandford's article (2006), she mentions that today, literacy and gender have a great intersecting complexity in schools. This is mainly due to the diverse types of text and their presentation in our society. For example, with the vast exposure of social and technological situations, children are looking at literacy in a perhaps, 'different' perspective. 'Literacy now relates to a much broader set of texts including visual, multimodal, and digital tet that appear in many forms all around us' (p. 304). The diverse types of texts such as billboards, magazines, the Internet, and many others are overpowering traditional school texts such as information texbooks, and novels. Having this piece of important information in mind, I have to be absolutely sure that the books I choose and offer to my students are pertinent to their preference so that they could be engaged in reading, thus increase their motivation.
The First Read Aloud for Cycle # 2
Read Aloud and Book Choice:
Today I did a read aloud with my third grade students. The book I read is called, Ruby Sings the Blues, written and illustrated by Niki Daly. This story is about a young girl named Ruby, whose voice is extremely loud. Her voice drives her parents, schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors crazy everyday. Both Ruby, her parents and teacher try hard to make Ruby turn down the volume, but it does not work. Kids dislike Ruby, and often say mean words to her that make her really depressed. However, Barnard and Zelda – the two magnificent jazz performers discover that Ruby’s loud voice is good for jazz singing, and they teach her how to use her voice to sing. At the end, Ruby performs on stage with Barnard and Zelda, and receives appreciation and praise from her audience. Ruby finds self-confidence and is never ashamed of her loud voice again because she has learned something new about herself.
I began the read aloud by asking them if they have ever done something that they didn’t purposely do, and it bothered people around them. Many of them had their hands up. Then, I moved on to my teaching point, ‘Good readers pay attention to the main character’s actions, dialogue and appearance’. During the read aloud, I stopped for students to turn-and-talk to their partners. I also stopped to point out the special text feature/font for Ruby’s dialogue. At the part where Ruby was singing on stage, I stopped again to ask if any of them was a musician. At the end, we discussed briefly about what Ruby learned in this story, and why it was important.
There are three reasons why I chose this book. First, the illustrations are really attractive. The interesting use of font size and style is part of the art, and it goes well with the illustration. The illustration also matches with the text, and quite often, gives out clues to the plot or unfamiliar words. Secondly, when Ruby is talking loud to her friends, the font size and style become bigger and bolder; it really caught the students' attention and interests during the read aloud. Nathan mentioned to the whole class that he noticed the change of font throughout the story as Ruby understands that her voice has been too loud, then the size of the font gets smaller. In this example, Nathan definitely showed interest and engagement during the read aloud. Thirdly, the whole class seemed to be really enjoying it because they could relate to Ruby’s character and her experience. The plot of the story is considered to be 'authentic' in their perspective because it is taken place in an urban community, where Ruby is not being accepted by her schoolmates and people in her community due to her ‘misbehavior’. During this part, Jesse opened his eyes wide, and began nodding to himself, which possibly indicates his aggreement and empathy to Ruby's situation and feelings. Nathan also shared his similar experiences with the whole class that he said one time, he did something not on purposse and he got the blame for it. He said he was really frustrated and sad at that moment, just like Ruby.
In this read aloud session, it is evident that clearly, both Nathan and Jesse showed great interest in the story because of its illustrations, Ruby's character, and authentic situation that they could relate to. I also encourage them to read Ruby Sings the Blues during their independent reading time, as a continuation to understand the character better and deeper.
Today I did a read aloud with my third grade students. The book I read is called, Ruby Sings the Blues, written and illustrated by Niki Daly. This story is about a young girl named Ruby, whose voice is extremely loud. Her voice drives her parents, schoolmates, teachers, and neighbors crazy everyday. Both Ruby, her parents and teacher try hard to make Ruby turn down the volume, but it does not work. Kids dislike Ruby, and often say mean words to her that make her really depressed. However, Barnard and Zelda – the two magnificent jazz performers discover that Ruby’s loud voice is good for jazz singing, and they teach her how to use her voice to sing. At the end, Ruby performs on stage with Barnard and Zelda, and receives appreciation and praise from her audience. Ruby finds self-confidence and is never ashamed of her loud voice again because she has learned something new about herself.
I began the read aloud by asking them if they have ever done something that they didn’t purposely do, and it bothered people around them. Many of them had their hands up. Then, I moved on to my teaching point, ‘Good readers pay attention to the main character’s actions, dialogue and appearance’. During the read aloud, I stopped for students to turn-and-talk to their partners. I also stopped to point out the special text feature/font for Ruby’s dialogue. At the part where Ruby was singing on stage, I stopped again to ask if any of them was a musician. At the end, we discussed briefly about what Ruby learned in this story, and why it was important.
There are three reasons why I chose this book. First, the illustrations are really attractive. The interesting use of font size and style is part of the art, and it goes well with the illustration. The illustration also matches with the text, and quite often, gives out clues to the plot or unfamiliar words. Secondly, when Ruby is talking loud to her friends, the font size and style become bigger and bolder; it really caught the students' attention and interests during the read aloud. Nathan mentioned to the whole class that he noticed the change of font throughout the story as Ruby understands that her voice has been too loud, then the size of the font gets smaller. In this example, Nathan definitely showed interest and engagement during the read aloud. Thirdly, the whole class seemed to be really enjoying it because they could relate to Ruby’s character and her experience. The plot of the story is considered to be 'authentic' in their perspective because it is taken place in an urban community, where Ruby is not being accepted by her schoolmates and people in her community due to her ‘misbehavior’. During this part, Jesse opened his eyes wide, and began nodding to himself, which possibly indicates his aggreement and empathy to Ruby's situation and feelings. Nathan also shared his similar experiences with the whole class that he said one time, he did something not on purposse and he got the blame for it. He said he was really frustrated and sad at that moment, just like Ruby.
In this read aloud session, it is evident that clearly, both Nathan and Jesse showed great interest in the story because of its illustrations, Ruby's character, and authentic situation that they could relate to. I also encourage them to read Ruby Sings the Blues during their independent reading time, as a continuation to understand the character better and deeper.
3.02.2008
A Journey to Cycle # 2 - Motivation
I am intrigued by an article that I just finished reading tonight, written by Linda Darling-Hammond (1998). I would like to share this quote.
"Motivating students requires an understanding of what individual students believe about themselves, what they care about, and what tasks are likely to give them enough success to encourage them to work hard to learn" (Darling-Hammond, p. 7).
Now that both Jesse and Nathan have a more solid understanding of what 'good readers' do during independent and book club reading, it is now time to think about motivation in the follow cycle. Thinking about this quote by Darling-Hammond, I am now more assured that in order to get students really involved in reading, teachers must provide texts that interest them, possibly characters and story plots that they can closely relate to and reflect upon. In my cylce # 2, I am going to do a series of read alouds, and minilessons that focus on stories that are 'authentic' to the students; with characters whose personalities and experiences are similar to what they have possibly encountered in their lives. I am hoping that Nathan and Jesse will continue to be engaged and motivated in reading with the instructions and approach that I am going to implement for the next four weeks.
According to the NRP (National Reading Panel), there are five pillars to effective reading instruction. Allington (2005) explains one of the pillars to be 'matching pupils with texts'. He says that having suitable and 'just-right' texts for students is a critical part to effective literacy teaching simply because every child has his/her unique abilities, and therefore no single text or one specific task can be appropriate for all children in a classroom. In light of this important statement, I will be introducing reading materials to Nathan and Jesse that are at their reading levels, and of their personal preferences. Read alouds and minilessons will be focusing on character study, making connections, and choosing books in the library. At the end of the cycle, I will be taking them to the school library so that they will have an opportunity to be independent readers that they have the knowledge of picking 'just-right' books, and finding books that they have interests in.
"Motivating students requires an understanding of what individual students believe about themselves, what they care about, and what tasks are likely to give them enough success to encourage them to work hard to learn" (Darling-Hammond, p. 7).
Now that both Jesse and Nathan have a more solid understanding of what 'good readers' do during independent and book club reading, it is now time to think about motivation in the follow cycle. Thinking about this quote by Darling-Hammond, I am now more assured that in order to get students really involved in reading, teachers must provide texts that interest them, possibly characters and story plots that they can closely relate to and reflect upon. In my cylce # 2, I am going to do a series of read alouds, and minilessons that focus on stories that are 'authentic' to the students; with characters whose personalities and experiences are similar to what they have possibly encountered in their lives. I am hoping that Nathan and Jesse will continue to be engaged and motivated in reading with the instructions and approach that I am going to implement for the next four weeks.
According to the NRP (National Reading Panel), there are five pillars to effective reading instruction. Allington (2005) explains one of the pillars to be 'matching pupils with texts'. He says that having suitable and 'just-right' texts for students is a critical part to effective literacy teaching simply because every child has his/her unique abilities, and therefore no single text or one specific task can be appropriate for all children in a classroom. In light of this important statement, I will be introducing reading materials to Nathan and Jesse that are at their reading levels, and of their personal preferences. Read alouds and minilessons will be focusing on character study, making connections, and choosing books in the library. At the end of the cycle, I will be taking them to the school library so that they will have an opportunity to be independent readers that they have the knowledge of picking 'just-right' books, and finding books that they have interests in.
3.01.2008
End of Cycle # 1
This has been an adventurous journey! Jesse and Nathan are two very unique boys who reacts to texts differently. I am very surprised of how well they did after the implementation of strategy lessons and readers checklist. Both of them have shown some improvement in their motivation and stamina level in reading. Generically speaking, biologically, boys are slower in developing speech and fine motor skills; psychologically, boys believe that girls are better in language; and socially, boys are born into existing ideologies of cultures that greatly affect their way of thinking toward literacy (Pollack, 1998). The urgency for educators to remedy the generalized fact that boys are not as enthused and/or competent in reading as girls has become a critical education agenda. After reflecting daily on my work and their work, I realize that teacher-researchers have great power in making differences. Jo-Anne Kerr (2007), a teacher-researcher has describes her journey of bringing her resistant learners up the steps by collecting data from their portfolios and reading logs. Her research has enlightened and motivated me to continue my inquisitiveness to explore more strategies to increase the boys' motivation and stamina.
I have re-written Nathan's reading log on cue cards (see exhibit 16) due to his illegible handwriting. From this piece of information, I am seeing that he is still not reading consistently at home. However, his buddy reading skill has proven to me that he does have the strength and determination to sit and read to his younger sister.
Exhibit 14
Unfortunately, Jesse appears to be slightly behind in this process. He is reluctant in using his reading log. He says to me, "but I really do read! I just don't like writing in it [reading log]. It's a pain!". At this point, I think the goal should be set toward building stamina and getting him interested in reading. However, I should still continue to explore ways to get him to track his reading daily. This is going to be remedied, hopefully, in cycle # 2.
Please take a look at my cycle # 1 presentation (slide show) posted on the top of this blog. The data that I have collected, synthesized and analyzed data in cycle # 1 definitely pushes me to take the next step in this endeavor.
I have re-written Nathan's reading log on cue cards (see exhibit 16) due to his illegible handwriting. From this piece of information, I am seeing that he is still not reading consistently at home. However, his buddy reading skill has proven to me that he does have the strength and determination to sit and read to his younger sister.
Exhibit 14
Unfortunately, Jesse appears to be slightly behind in this process. He is reluctant in using his reading log. He says to me, "but I really do read! I just don't like writing in it [reading log]. It's a pain!". At this point, I think the goal should be set toward building stamina and getting him interested in reading. However, I should still continue to explore ways to get him to track his reading daily. This is going to be remedied, hopefully, in cycle # 2.
Please take a look at my cycle # 1 presentation (slide show) posted on the top of this blog. The data that I have collected, synthesized and analyzed data in cycle # 1 definitely pushes me to take the next step in this endeavor.
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