Determining Importance

In a previous post, I raved about Tanny MacGregor's book Comprehension Connections. It is just full of great ideas. Even though our Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading series is finished in the spring, I am still going to continue with a few more helpful tips that may aide in making your guided reading a little easier!

One strategy that I find very difficult for my primaries to grasp is Determining Importance. I am sure you have been there... you ask for a quick summary and then get a five minute, play-by-play retelling of an ENTIRE BOOK! So cute, but not exactly what you asked for!

Because primary aged students are concrete thinkers, I love how Tanny demonstrates what determining importance looks like in a practical and tangible way. The first thing that I did, was pull our my personal handbag (aka purse), which is shamefully messy. Having a two year old, I always just end up throwing things that I need and wait, what seems like months, before cleaning it out again. So, to kick off our lesson, I became a bit vulnerable and showed my students the reality of my deep, dark purse! I pulled out many of the objects in the purse and asked them to help me figure out which items I needed to come to school that day. They had to DETERMINE what was IMPORTANT for me to bring to school.

Of course, they thought it was hilarious when I pulled out a bottle of nail polish, coupons for a box of Popsicles (yum!) and essentially, other useless junk. They were quickly able to deduct that I only really needed my keys, to drive to school. My wallet, which contained my driver's license and the colored pens that I use for correcting. Aside from that, there wasn't much else that I needed. It was all just extra fluff. (Don't mind my bare feet... preggo problems...)

The next demonstration was hands-on and the kids flipped when they got to participate! We talked about how sometimes when we read, there is extra stuff, that is just not important. Kind of like when parents cook pasta on the stove. I asked them to walk me through the steps...

First, their parents have to put water into a pot and let it boil on the stove.

Then, they had the pasta to the boiling water to let it cook.

STOP. I asked them, when the pasta was finished cooking in the water, if they just ate it right out of the pot? Like soup, pasta in hot water. NOOOO! They all shouted! After that, water had to be strained right out of the pasta.

WOW! I stopped them here. "So you mean, that the water strains out of the pot, and all the important stuff (aka pasta) stays in the pot. Just like when we read... we want to get rid of all the extra information and only remember the MOST IMPORTANT information. Determining Importance."

Ahhh... light bulbs went off in their little brains, like the 4th of July! So fun!

At this point, I introduced our FOUR THINKING STEMS that they would be using to complete their sticky note assignment during guided reading that day.

* What's important here...
* One thing that we should notice...
* I want to remember...
* It's interesting that...

The kids then went on to do their quiet reading at the guided reading table. I listened to each one, checking for fluency and comprehension. All the while, they were using the thinking stems to complete sticky notes for information in the book that they determined important. I tell you, if you haven't used sticky notes for your guided reading yet, I would highly recommend it. They absolutely love it and it's a great quick check for you, the teacher, to assess their understanding of the strategy at hand.

At the end of the guided reading session, which flies by in what seems like two minutes, I asked them to each choose the sticky note that they were most proud of for the day. They would then share it with the group. With some groups, if time ran short, I had them share their sticky note with the friend sitting next to them, and I listened in to each conversation.

The following week, I gave the students half sheets of paper with these Determining Importance thinking stems listed to use during their Daily 5 stations, This way I could see the progress, if they were able to Determine Importance at their independent reading level without my support at the guided reading table! Happy Teaching!

Metacognition

Welcome to the third and final post of Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading, a monthly-link up between 8 teacher bloggers! Each of us will share a guided reading strategy, a teaching tip, and sometimes a freebie! Each month, you’ll have the chance to win a product relevant to each different strategy we blogged about! Time to build up those guided reading resources!

How many of you have heard of Tanny MacGregor? She is absolutely incredible... She taught for over 25 years in the Cincinnati area, and and is now a TOSA presenting at workshops around the country! One of my most treasured teaching tools is her book, Comprehension Connections. It is exactly what it sounds... a book of tools and ideas, full of ways to help students make connections to comprehension strategies. 

When I first read this book, and it talked about teaching firsties metacognition... I thought it was absolutely crazy. I hardly even knew what metacognition was... (It is "thinking about your thinking," for those of you that are wondering.) Anyways despite my reluctance, I decided to jump in and give it a try!

We started by making a "reading salad," comprised of our thinking and the text. As we took a picture walk through the book, we worked together. 

I pointed to the title of the book and read aloud "David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon." The students had to work together to decide whether we should add a text card or thinking card. They chose "text." 

Then I pointed to my head and said, " I'm thinking that this book is going to be about a boy named David that is constantly getting in trouble." The kids nodded their heads in agreement and we add a thinking card.  

This process is continued as we completed our picture walk; I also used it to pre-teach vocabulary and have any quick discussions that I had in mind before they began to read independently. I allowed each child to make a "reading salad" while they read. I proceed to listen to each of the kids read and checked for comprehension, just like I do any other day during guided reading. 

Next, I gave the kids thinking stems (prompts) to help them generate sentences about metacognition during their reading. 

- I'm thinking...
- I'm noticing....
- I'm wondering...
- I'm seeing...
- I'm feeling... 

Kids were given sticky notes, and asked to generate at least TWO thinking stems while they were reading. This was a more concrete way for them to demonstrate their metacognition while they read! Again, I modeling this strategy for them...

I was SHOCKED to see how quickly they caught on, and were able to apply their thinking to the text through writing! How often do I sell them short?!? They're like little sponges!

We then used the sticky notes to generate complete sentences on a graphic organizer. I did this mainly because it was what they would be seeing in the future at their Daily 5 stations as a form of accountability. (Next week they will be completing these graphic organizers at Listening Station, Read to Self, Read to Someone and Computer Station). 

At the end of their reading time, I did a quick -reteaching of the word metacognition and show how the text + thinking = real reading, using the Tanny MacGregor chart!. 

As a whole class extension beyond the guided reading table, we each made our own "thought bubbles" that helped the students to verbalize their thinking about the books they were reading. 

On the thought bubbles they each wrote out the five thinking stems, to help get their brains churning. Then they used their independent reading books (any "just right book" from their book bins) to write three sentences using their thinking stems! 

I realize the picture is small but here is one example....

"In the book David Goes to School by David Shannon, I am thinking that David is in trouble. I am thinking that he needs to keep his hands to himself. I'm noticing that he is mad."  -First Grade Student 

Not too bad for first grade, huh?!? The kids were especially excited that we had the laptop cart that day, and once I conferenced with them to approve their sentences, they were able to type and print them out! My kids always love anything that allows them to utilize technology... and it is great typing practice for them as well! This extension project became a great hallway display for the next few weeks! 

If you would like a quick copy of the thinking stems graphic organizer, feel free to download your copy here! 

Don't forget to check out all the other teachers that are sharing their own Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading! 

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Text Based Evidence

Welcome to the second post of Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading, a monthly-link up between 8 teacher bloggers! Each of us will share a guided reading strategy, a teaching tip, and sometimes a freebie! Each month, you’ll have the chance to win a product relevant to each different strategy we blogged about! Time to build up those guided reading resources!  

Teachers everywhere hear "Common Core" and cringe... It can be so intimidating having to teach something new! After attending several workshops, I have yet to drink the cool-aid, so to speak... But I am a fan of teaching kids at an early age to find TEXT BASED EVIDENCE. As a primary school teacher, too often children are merely reading words, not reading for comprehension. You may have heard me rave about my school district before, and the incredible PD they have offered. One of the most beneficial PD workshops I ever attended was when 2nd and 3rd grade teachers sat down and talking about learning gaps... We found out our 2nd graders were not able to find text based evidence when they got to 3rd so it's been a big shift in my guided reading groups!

There are two different ways in which I teach finding text based evidence. The first is using sticky notes. In our third day of guided reading (2 read, 1 write) we always write about what we read. I give my students a few short questions to respond to in their Readers Notebooks and then give them a pile of sticky notes. They must go back in the text and pull out the answer record it in "note form" on their sticky note. Finally, they go back to their readers notebook and record in compete thoughts and sentences.

For my more visual learners, I was finding this approach difficult. So, I decided to write my own reading comprehension passages in which they could go back and highlight in different colors showing where they found their answers. 

As much as I hate New York State testing, it is a reality. These passages provide them with  a more authentic way of practicing "finding the answers" for the test as well.

I give my kiddos a bucket of colored markers and let them choose which color they'd like to use (always a treat)! They then proceed to use a different color to find text based evidence for each different question, labeling the highlighted portion with the corresponding question number. 

This also allows for teachable moments about only highlighting pertinent information as well as organizing their thoughts! Crucial skills as they get older!!

These Reading Comprehension Passages have revolutionized my teaching... If you're interested in some freebies... Click on the images below!

I am also giving away my BEST SELLING Reading Comprehension Passages Bundle Guided Reading Levels J-N to one lucky winner! Enter below to win!

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Don't forget to check out all the other teachers that are sharing their own Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading! 

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Making Predictions!

Welcome to the first post of Smashing Strategies for Guided Reading, a monthly-link up between 8 teacher bloggers! Each of us will share a guided reading strategy, a teaching tip, and sometimes a freebie! Each month, you’ll have the chance to win a product relevant to each different strategy we blogged about! Time to build up those guided reading resources!  

Making predictions is such a crucial skill for children to learn. What we discover as we grow is life is full of predictions, especially in reading! I am ALWAYS telling my students, "Good Readers Make Predictions!" 

Before heading to the guided reading table, I always start with a quick shared reading lesson. Gather all the students to the floor and do a read aloud in which I model MAKING PREDICTIONS. 

Then we head to our guided reading table... One great book I love to use for teaching this strategy is Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens. It's a book about a lazy bear and a tricky hare... full of illustrations and a plot that leads itself to making predictions for beginners!  If you don't have this book or time to go to the library, check out this free read-aloud of Tops and Bottoms on youtube by clicking on the image below!

Meanwhile, meet our friend Paige...Our little helper Predicting Paige makes the road to predicting a LITTLE more tangible for young learners! 

 I briefly introduce Paige as I model making prediction during shared reading but where she really comes alive is at the guided reading table! Each child is given a Predicting Paige trade card that includes her caption, describing what it means to make predictions! Then each child is given a small stack of sticky notes and a pencil. For 2-3 minutes, we discuss how good readers make predictions by looking for clues. We take pictures walks through the book together; we look at the title of the book, and discuss how the back of the book can give us clues before we even start to read! 

Each child is given a leveled guided reading book , according to their Fountas & Pinnell reading level (as you can see from the pictures, each group is reading a different book) and then start recording predictions on each page using their sticky notes. The children are given instructions to make a prediction before they read each page. After the prediction is recorded, they read to find out if it was correct! We talk about how we don't always find the answer to our predictions immediately; sometimes we have to keep reading to find out! I rotate around the table for 10-12 minutes, listening to each child read individually as well as conversing about their predictions. This helps me gauge how each child is coming along with the new strategy. 

As we wrap up, I pass out this Predicting with Paige sheet below, and encourage them to find the two predictions they were MOST PROUD of during their reading. They record the clues they found, the predictions they made and rationale behind it. After that, they record whether or not their prediction was correct! 

*Note after we do this in guided reading for three days, I give this same sheet to my students during their Daily 5 rotations to complete during "read to self" and "listen to reading." This provides accountability in their centers, as well as a quick assessment for me to see how they're working with this strategy on an independent level! 

If you are interested... click on the freebie image to download your own copy of Predicting Paige to use in your classroom! 

If Predicting Paige seems like something of interest to you... enter this giveaway to win the COMPLETE Guided Reading Crew & Their Strategies, Too package! It includes 11 different characters; each character has a specific strategy he/she is associated with! 

*Inferring Izzie

*Connections Carter

*Questioning Quinton

*Schema Sophie

*Background Knowledge Brayden

*Retelling Reagan

*Author's Purpose Ada

*Predicting Paige

*Cause & Effect Chloe

*Summarizing Sebastian

*Visualizing Violet

Your students will fall in love with these silly characters, and hopefully the graphic organizers that go with each will help eliminate prep-time for you guided reading groups! These characters can be used for shared reading, guided reading or independent reading! Print out the trading cards to send home for parents as resources, or leave in your students reading bins! 

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Want to get some more ideas for guided reading? Check out these other blog posts! 

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Thanks for reading... don't forget to come back next month for more guided reading strategies, teaching tips and giveaways!