Independent ReadingREADER’S CHOICE WORKSHOP

(Week 4, 3 Weeks)

New /Affective elements: Different instructional model Text choice (how do we control that?!) Teaching students how to choose books

that suit them Expecting student-set reading goals Discussing one’s “reading identity” Seeing value in contemporary lit

Some teachers struggle with this unit

~ from the Unit AbstractWHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT READING UNIT? p. 3

“…Students choose texts that match their interests and readability levels…"

August 30, 2009

By MOTOKO RICHJONESBORO, Ga. — For years Lorrie McNeill loved teaching “To Kill a Mockingbird,” the Harper Lee classic that many Americans regard as a literary rite of passage.But last fall, for the first time in 15 years, Ms. McNeill, 42, did not assign “Mockingbird” — or any novel. Instead she turned over all the decisions about which books to read to the students in her seventh- and eighth-grade English classes at Jonesboro Middle School in this south Atlanta suburb.Among their choices: James Patterson‘s adrenaline-fueled “Maximum Ride” books, plenty of young-adult chick-lit on.

THE FUTURE OF READING

A New Assignment: Pick Books You Like

Nancie Atwell’s response to the backlash from the NYT article:

Penny Kittle is an important voice for student choice in high school

~ from the Unit AbstractWHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT READING UNIT? p. 3

“The primary focus…is the growth students make as readers, which shifts focus away from content (I disagree). “Typical” literature instruction AND student selected reading both include teaching Central idea Theme Inference Textual evidence Genres (fiction & nonfict) Summary writing Research Information synthesis Comparison

~ from the Unit AbstractWHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT READING UNIT? p. 3

“As a result, preservation of uninterrupted reading time during class periods is essential (I agree).” 30-35 MIN/DAY

~ from the Unit AbstractWHAT IS AN INDEPENDENT READING UNIT? p. 3

“This requires teachers keep mini-lessons and conferring to an absolute minimum (partially agree).”

Ideas for beginning your own library:

* FB, friend, relative requests * buying 2nd hand * Donors Choose <www.donorschoose.org> * yard sales, rummage sales, etc.

~ from TEACHER DECISIONS FOR UNIT IMPLEMENTATION p. 4

“…Teachers are encouraged to gather their own classroom library that reflects a range of reading levels and student interests…”

* Vertical alignment extends from grade 6 with the expectation that students understand the repertoire of decisions taught in previous grades >> Refer to the Learning Progressions as needed.

~ from UNIT ORGANIZATION p. 4“The primary purpose of this unit is for students to read a significant number of pages in and out of school daily.”

A session can easily last more than one day.

Break a session into multiple mini-lessons (usually by Teaching Point).

You might add sessions/mini-lessons to the unit if your students need additional instruction.

During reading time, it is essential that you roam and confer with students (see Kittle and Tovani)

The Teaching Sessions in Independent Reading

1. Teacher Model:◦ Show Jessica Wise’s TED TALK◦ Share personal examples:

how a particular book changed your views

describe your own preferences

what don’t you read?

what do you want to read? -- model setting a goal

Teaching Point 1.1: Readers acknowledge who they are as readers and as part of a reading community. They set goals for their reading.

2. Active engagement: partner discussion ◦ Reading identity◦ Possible goals

3. Independent Practice◦ Pre-unit performance task

Teaching Point 1.1 Continued…

Teaching Points 1.2 and 2.1Teaching Points 3.1 and 3.2Teaching Point 4Teaching Points 5.1, 5.2, 5.3Teaching Point 6

JIGSAW:Each participant today choses a section of the unit and presents the highlights to the group.

Summative Assessment The Unit’s Assessment:

Write a reflective essay:• How does having a

reading life change my life?

• How have my experiences in this unit changed the way I see a topic or ideas or the world?

• Share your essay with a partner or the class.

My Assessment

Create a Prezi:• Conduct research on an

topic of interest from your novel

• Teach yourself how to use Prezi.

• Create a Prezi that presents information from research and evaluates how well your novel’s author treated the issue in the novel.

• Present to small groups.

Sample topics: Gang membership Child abduction Poverty Prenuptial agreements One child policy Wicca Romantic attraction Self mutilation The Civil Rights Movement Teen suicide

We did independent reading all semester, so the Prezi presentation was part of the final exam

This is not exam behavior!