Reading Contracts and Target Box under-way

Well, this week I started a couple of ideas from my Harry Hood professional development course.  Both are programmes that I will run for four weeks, then switch over for the second half of term.

The reading contract I have set up integrates with our energy/electricity topic study and has students generating questions to research and then present an interactive learning centre for other students to view.  I will see this group (of capable readers) once a week for a specific reading skills teaching session.  I have been impressed with their positive attitude and engagement in self-directed independent work.

The other group (of fairly confident readers) I have on a reading mileage programme called 'target box' where over four weeks they will be aiming to read as many (mostly short) books as possible.  They also have a list of possible follow-up activities to choose from, which they do on a 3:1 basis.  That is, they can choose one follow up activity for one in every 3 books/articles they read.

Both have got off to a good start, and I hope this will allow me time to focus some planning for the more regular teacher sessions I have with my other two lower reading groups.

Harry Hood - Literacy Professional Development

A very useful and informative day.  Things I will specifically take away with me...

1. Audience & Purpose are key
   
2. pre-writing | drafting | revising | proof-reading | editing [NOTE: TEACHER EDITS AT FINAL STAGE - focus of student's writing goes from deeper to surface, that is meaning to mechanics]
   
3. Guided reading not designed to drive up reading age (recreational reading does that).  Year 5-6 students, focus is on developing skills in critical thinking and exploring language.  Therefore they need to be reading text they can already read (ie. just below current reading 'age').
   
4. Reading contracts for upper reading groups to 'free up' time to spend with lower readers daily.
   
5. Newsboard, Target box (see personal PD notes)
   

Read read read

At a recent staff meeting we looked at reading level statistics of our students measured over time. It did highlight some need for change or improvement in the way some of us run our reading programmes.

For me, it seems apparent that I need a much more structured, almost junior-style reading programme. I am currently basing a lot on topic-related reading and information gathering. However, many of my students would benefit more from a systematic programme that strengthens reading comprehension which, for many of my readers, is not currently effective when using topic related texts that are often only suitable for higher level readers.

I have also tried this term to give some freedom of choice to students, which on one hand they appear to engage with, but on the other, gaps appear in their ability as independent learners. I am thinking that this may well be an age thing. In our quest to promote independent learning and thinking skills, some of the basic skills needed to underpin this type of thinking is being given less time. That is, the ability to effectively decode and then comprehend what we have just decoded.

Again, like in maths, I need to get back to some basics and follow some good structure. Topic can take a back-seat within my reading programme.

Term Three Start Up

Just noticed it's been a few weeks. My last note mentioned my sore wisdom tooth. Well today I'm getting it out. Making use of my holidays :-)

As I look to my initial planning for this term I'm thinking...

• I'm one quarter through my provisional registration (thanks Raewyn)

• I think things may in fact possibly get less overwhelming (maybe coming to the end side of the 'new baby, things will settle in after a few weeks' stage

• Each term sees me restructuring my timetable format for maths and reading (this time maths I feel a bit better about, just need to still make some independent resources to support the programme)

• Reading - I want to develop some routines for individual conferencing, both to help students think more about their own learning, and for me to keep better track of where they're at.