Cue the Trumpets

dun dun dun duuuuuuun...by Suzanne

This, the 24th day of the first month of the year 2017, shall hereby be known as "Suzanne Finally Finished the Upper Elementary Shared Reading Project She's Been Promising (and She Blogged About It)" Day!  It's a bit wordy, but I trust that it'll catch on.

Friends- This project has been a long time coming!  When I moved from teaching 10th grade to 4th grade, I knew that Shared Readings had to come with me.  They were hands down the best thing in my classroom, and I knew that the system could be adapted to work in upper elementary.  So each week I would set out to make the next weeks lesson.  This left me with a bank of texts and questions, but there was much work to do to tidy them up.  

And guess what... THEY'RE HERE!!  I am SO proud of this set!  It's huge (in light of current events...It's HUUUUUGE!)- 29 four-day lessons!  Each week, students focus in on genre study, comprehension, vocabulary (either academic or in context), and inferencing.  I went through the 5th grade TEKS snapshot (since that is our state's Student Success Initiative year) to make sure that this resource was tightly aligned.  Adding Shared Readings into your daily routine will give students a second exposure to the TEKS/standards in your curriculum.

They are available for purchase in our Teachers Pay Teachers Store, and they are on SALE through Friday!  Go forth and celebrate!

When Your Get Up and Go is Gone

hobbling toward the finish line, Suzanne

I can't even.  Not one more thing.  Ideas and creativity are distant memories.  Are you there?  The end of the school year is hard, but one thing we both know that the more "business as usual, the better.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of 6th graders.  They were specially selected because they were either going to pass or fail STAAR by a small margin.  I L.O.V.E.ed working with them!  Each day they blew me away with their thoughts and justifications.  There is power in a small group, Secondary Peeps!  That's a soapbox for another blog post though.  As much as I love them, the school year had taken it's toil on me, and I was spent.  Luckily, they had worked with Nine Square in their classroom before and were familiar with the process.  I was going to try something new!  It was either going to be brilliant or up in flames!  Thankfully, the former prevailed.  

In a previous day's session (we met for about 30 minutes each day), we read and worked with an excerpt from the first chapter of Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis.  I asked them to mark three important details (something you can touch right there in the passage) in the text.  I then gave them three Post-it notes.  They were told to either write down exactly or paraphrase the important details they selected.  I then gave them two new Post-it notes.  On these they were asked to write two true things about the story but that you couldn't point to (inferences).  I modeled this thinking by talking through two different parts of the story that I could point to and connecting them with my own thinking.  


Now we were ready to play!  I asked students to work in groups of 3-4.  They were to read through and select 1 on their inference statements.  Now the group was tasked with choosing two details from their collection that best supported this inference.  I also made extra Post-its available in case they wanted to write a new detail.  Students shared their connections aloud with the group.  We tried it a second time with a new inference.  Wash-rinse-repeat.

While they were working, I mean days before when I was tirelessly preparing this lesson, I wrote out two theme statements (true in the story but big about life).  I then gave each group a theme statement.  They had to select (or write) one inference that best supported the theme and one detail that best supported the theme.  There should be a common thread that runs throughout all three Post-its- detail, inference, theme.  

Overall, I was really pleased with the thinking and talking that happened.  I think that a key to success was that students were familiar with the Nine Square activity and train of thought.  

What are you doing to engage learners on this final stretch?

Power of One: Last Stop on Market Street

your driver,  Suzanne

I am soooo excited!  This is day 1...part 1...the first installment...oh, you get it...of what I hope to be a multi-part series: The Power of One.  The gist is that we need to teach deeply.  One way to do that is to find one slamma-jamma text and park it there.  
If you've been a part of The Curly Classroom for any length of time, then you know that we love picture books.  Well, it's been a little while since a picture book made my heart go pitter patter, and I was in a funk.  Fear not- my picture book love is alive and well!  I have Last Street on Market Street by Matt de la Pena to thank for that.  This verbiage on the second page sealed the deal, "The outside air smelled like freedom...".  I mean come on!!  

So let's get started!

Old or young woman?

Chalice or faces?

This book deals with the idea of perception and choosing to look on the bright side.  To start, show a series of perception images.  Students always have lots of fun listening to others' reactions and trying to see both pictures!  To get students thinking and prepare them to read, have them consider the following questions- Was any view wrong?  How can we apply this activity to our own thinking?  How does it relate to positive thinking? 

Pop a copy of the book under the document camera and read aloud.  Even the toughest of kids will crack at a good read aloud!

To work with the reading, I wanted to focus on our Figure 19 inferencing skills.  And I'm so excited about this NEW activity!! Do you know and love Nine Squares like we do?  I present to you a similar activity called Literary Dominos.  Have students work in small groups and divide the dominos evenly among the partners.  One student will go first and lay down a domino.  Students will read what is on both sides of the domino.  When a student finds a way that one of their dominos will connect to an idea presented, they will play their domino and explain the connection to their group.  If multiple group members find a connection, have each student explain and the group will choose the best pair.  If all else fails, you can always be the tie breaker.  The goal is to use up all of your dominos first.  I like this instructional strategy because it values creative and higher level thinking- create, justify, evaluate.  

Talk time: How can thinking positively change your outcome?

Give your students time to extend their thinking by asking them to write about this big idea.  You can use a mentor sentence from the book to teach/review a sentence pattern or grammar rule.
"His friend Colby climbed in, gave CJ a wave, and drove off with his dad." 
Mini-lesson: pitchforking verbs

"Nana squeezed the man's hand and laughed her deep laugh."
Mini-lesson: compound predicates

What is a favorite text that you would like to see with the Power of One?

AND...

Happiest of Birthdays to our favorite curly co-contributor, Lori!!

Freytag will only take you so far...

Tried and Tested by Lori

Because I am a teacher, I own a certain level of nerdery that cannot be disputed and includes the following awkward notions.

• An inherent love of school supplies. This one is fun because...um...school supplies.
• An irritating capacity for memorizing state standards and the various ways it has been tested throughout the years. This one is annoying, and here's why.

There is a certain standard that is responsible for uglying up all kinds of data in my current district. Allow me to share with you--straight from the 8th grade TEKS--my 2014-15 arch-nemesis from the reading strand, 8.6A:

• Students are expected to analyze linear plot development (e.g., conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, subplots) to determine whether and how conflicts are resolved.

This is Freytag. It will only take you so far (which is not very).

When many teachers look at this, they believe--understandably so--that if they teach with the good ol' Freytag model then students are getting the level of instruction required by the TEKS. Heck...look at this question from the 8th grade 2014 STAAR test.

Knowing how to plot out that story on the Freytag would absolutely answer that question. But take a look at the rest of the questions on that same test with the same coding (I'm telling you...nerdery all over the place).

___________________________________________________________________

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These types of questions cannot be answered with the Freytag! What's a Curly girl to do?! I am loving my new approach with picture annotations! Let me show you how cool this is. First, students learn the fiction symbols from our GENRE BOOKMARKS, and here's how I teach it. 

Fiction is made up of:

Typically, the way a character interacts with his or her conflict indicates theme. 

For example, if a character is determined and confident and faces his problem head on, then perhaps we are learning the value of bravery. If a stubborn character experiences something that makes him or her reflective, then the themes about being open-minded and learning from experience begin to emerge.

But if kids aren't tracking this and making inferences as they read, the depth is lost on them. I believe we've done our children a disservice by teaching them that annotating means summarizing out to the side as you read. Curly friends, that's plot and we have to go deeper.

With this style of fiction annotations, students are trained to recognize and track three key elements of fiction and learn how those elements interact with one another to form a greater picture. 

The annotation examples below are from a re-test intervention that I've been teaching for the last two weeks. On our first day, I spent time asking students how they read and what they did while they read. Overwhelmingly, students told me that they had given up on annotating (summarizing as they go) because it never helped. After several days practicing our fiction annotations, I watched kids grow and learn to approach fiction with purpose and with a process to analyze linear plot development (e.g., conflict, rising action, falling action, resolution, sublots) to determine whether and how conflicts are resolved. (Again with the nerdery.)

Notice how the student has used her pictures to indicate the fiction element,
has underlined corresponding text, and has written a quick inference--not a summary.

I like how this student was simultaneously keeping track of the conflict
and the character's emotional response to it.

These picture annotations helped students see beyond the plot in an accessible and meaningful way. They left Freytag in the dust and are much better for it. 

1000 Words

your wordsmith, Suzanne

A picture is worth...all together now...1000 words.  Good!  So what is that supposed to mean anyway?!  I don't know if I am expert enough to answer that question, but I can show you two strategies that unlock those 1000 words and practice that illusive skill...inferencing.

I thought you'd like that!

We throw around words like infer and conclude in our written and verbal questioning, as we should.  However, for a struggling reader, there is nothing automatic that fires off in their brain to approach this type of question.  That's where we come in.

This first strategy is called It Says-I Say-And So by Kylene Beers.  I can hardly talk (or type) about this strategy without chuckling.  This is one of Lori's least favorite strategies.  She struggles with it because she has strong inferencing skills.  Show off!  But that is a good take away: this strategy is not for all.  Strong readers might be frustrated by it.  Let's talk about how it can be used to scaffold struggling readers' thinking.

Show students a picture.

In our "It Says" column, students will list only the "facts" in the picture (things they can point to).  Students might be tempted to write something that goes beyond the picture.  Praise this and show them how naturally they are making inferences, but stress that this column is only for things that they can see with their eyes.  

"I Say" is where we are able to go beyond the picture.  Examples might include thoughts and feelings.  Encourage them to combine facts.  If this is your first time with this strategy, model your thinking aloud.  For example, I know that when I'm in bed with a box or tissue and thermometer, I'm sick!

Finally, we are able to combine our thoughts into an inference.  Continually point out that this inference is not something stated but is based on the clues I found.  I have to make this picture make sense, tell why is matters.

The finished product:

Ohhhh! Ahhhh!

Here's another variation:

The power in this strategy lies in the conversation.  The first time or two the teacher will largely explain their thinking.  You are creating those neural pathways for students.  (I'm sorry- how scientific did that last sentence sound?!)  Work to turn conversations over to students.  When students feel comfortable with the pictures, try either strategy with  a brief, targeted passage.

Despite Lori's reluctance, I love this strategy because it's easy buy in, and students don't realize what powerful work they're doing.  You know I love being sneaky!

Once and Done

a play by play from Lori

Last Monday was game day for lots of English I students across the state of Texas. But it was also a big day for me and 15 other teachers and about 400 sophomores. While all of the English I students tested, our English II kids came for our EOC Blitz--a skills-based review session that utilized fast-paced and engaging lessons specifically designed by yours truly to give them a rigorous pre-game warmup. We made it clear to our sophomores that our expectation is for them to take this test ONCE and be DONE.

I know what you're thinking. Thanks, Lori. Now you tell me. But now is your perfect chance to get the Blitz materials for your very own prep session. And...best of all...I've already run it once and worked out all of the kinks out for you!

My advice is to beg and plead with your principal to run this as a campus-wide initiative right before the test next spring. Bribe your testing coordinator or registrar or whoever else you have to in order to get all of your English kiddos in one place for a measly little 3 hours. Logistically, I simply created 5 "teams" of 3 teachers and students rotated from session to session within their "team". This package was originally designed for English II, but it absolutely works for any secondary grade level (maybe even elementary)! 

And even if you're not blessed to be in the great state of Texas, the lessons are skills-based (yay!) rather than just test-based (boo!). They are aligned with standards found in both the TEKS and the common core. 


If all else fails, and your principal won't budge (but something tells me he or she will once you show him or her this resource), you can at the very least use it for tutorial lessons in the fall or in the spring. 

Click here for the "Once and Done" Blitz. The download comes with three 50-minute lesson plans, full-length explanations for each plan, and ready-made resources--including manipulatives, posters, door signs, and more--even a logistics planning sheet (so you can show your principal that you've thought through everything). 

Next spring, you call the major plays on your campus--Once and Done!

It's Hip to be Square

brought to you by Lori

It's Day 2 of our Relevant Review blitz! Be sure to check out Day 1's tips and tricks if you missed it.

As it comes closer and closer to test time, we become more and more terrified panicked dejected concerned about our students' progress and upcoming performance on their state assessment. Our instruction consists of militant rigorous review. I struggle to find the right words, slightly in jest. But only slightly. This is a hard time of year. We're stressed and the kids are...well not at all. Just when we need them to be rockstars, they're ready to make every day a mental vacation. But our instruction cannot and should not turn into drill and kill. If we continue to engage them and really push them to think, then we can give them the prep they need without cramming the test down their throats. That's boring and it never helps anyone. [But hopefully you read Suz's post yesterday. Because sometimes we must review the multiple choice, and yesterday she told you how to make it fun.]

Reading assessments, in part, test a student's ability to read a text, comprehend it, make inferences, draw out themes, and support all of those observations with appropriate details from the text. In a multiple-choice format, students are often faced with the following demands:

• Choosing an appropriate theme.
• Choosing which detail best supports an inference.
• Inferring based on a given detail.

Instead of practicing this using multiple choice questions that students will never actually see on their test, the Nine Square activity allows students to practice these skills in an authentic and engaging format that allows for collaboration and small group talk. 

Of all the manipulatives I've made this year, these are pretty simple. Create a table in Word and...voila...easy to print, cut, and sort!

The activity works best with a picture book or a short fiction text. When we went to Lead 4ward's Relevant Review conference in Austin, Gayla Wiggins modeled the strategy with a cute picture book called The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen, but you can do this with any text. I used it with my own students last week using The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson because I like the way it pairs with To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Teacher Prep: Choose a layered text. Any of our Shared Reading pieces would work well. Set up a 9x9 table in MS Word and dedicate 5 squares for details, 2 squares for inferences, and 2 squares for theme statements. Then, work backwards. Trust me...it's easier this way. Write your two theme statements first, then write your 5 details. From those details, draw out 5 inferences. Once your table is complete, print enough copies for the small groups in your class (7 is enough for me) and cut them out. Generating the content for the Nine Squares takes longer than you would think. If you'd like, click for a copy of my Nine Square for Woodson's The Other Side and teacher key. This is crunch time, people. Take it and use it. 

In the Classroom: Your materials are prepped, and you're ready to go! Remember this is review. You're not teaching your students anything new. Your first step is to review three key academic terms. I had my students go back and add these thinking questions to our visual dictionary.

• Detail--What does it say?
• Inference--What does it mean?
• Theme--Why does it matter?

I like explaining it as a ladder, where you reach a higher meaning each time you climb to the next rung. Now you're ready to read the text.

• Read the text aloud to students. There is no need to set a reading purpose, and there is no need to stop and clarify for students. This should be a cold read...much like a testing situation.
• Pass out your Nine Square envelopes. While I pass out the envelopes, I like to tell my kids to talk about the details that they remember. 
• Tell students to sort the squares into 3 categories--details, inferences, themes. Let them flounder for a bit and then narrow it down by telling them that there are 5 details, 2 inferences, and 2 themes.
• Allow a bit more time to sort. Visit tables and ask students to justify sorting decisions. The conversation you hear is encouraging.
• Put up your cheat sheet. Let kids adjust their sort to match your original intention. If a student disagrees with you, hear them out without penalty. Sometimes their argument can be convincing, but other times, it doesn't hold water. You should encourage students by letting them know that we all infer and think differently. [But still...sometimes a detail is a just a detail. Don't let them get away with too much.] Regardless of the discussion, everyone needs to fix their categories to look like yours before moving on. Here's where the fun happens.

• Tell students to pick a theme statement. Now ask your kids to support that theme with two of the details. Listen to and validate the conversation that happens.
• Tell students to pick an inference. Now support it with two details. Listen to the conversation. Ask certain tables to share out with others. 
• Now pick two details and have students write their own inference.
• Review all of the details and inferences and have kids generate their own theme statements.

We've bumped up the rigor by asking students to create an additional inference.

These student-generated themes and inferences can be posted on your white board or your door. If kids can do this, then you know they can answer those types of questions on the test.

For a great extension, you can have kids make their own Nine Square. I recommend providing a template with some portions already completed. Stay tuned to our Relevant Review Blitz, and I'll show you how to extend this with an additional activity! 

It is hip to be square! Trust me...I know. Let me know how it works for you!