Interactive Read-Alouds and the Art of Questioning Part 1

Hope everyone has been having a wondrous summer! For many of you, this is your first summer as a teacher. Do me a favor...ENJOY it! I had 2 weeks off after the end of the school year after which I jumped right back in to this work. I've attended leadership workshops, facilitation meetings, professional development vetting sessions, and so much more. I'm most proud of the work that my team and I have been doing to get our new school started. I'll be at the newest conversion school in Nashville with some of the best people I've come to know down here. We've been working to develop new teachers and building a staff culture that will definitely pay forward. Well, enough about that. While planning ELA professional development sessions for our network, I thought of my readers and wanted to share what I'll be presenting to nearly 50 ELA/ELL/SPED teacher in the coming weeks.

If you're a teacher I'm sure you've done a read-aloud at some point in your teaching career. It's simply the act of reading aloud. Nowadays, we take it a step further by referring to it as an Interactive Read Aloud. The word interactive is in itself quite self-explanatory. One purpose of Interactive Read Alouds is to expose scholars to high complexity or grade level text with teacher support and scaffolding. It isn't the time to present text that can easily be accessed independently. Additionally, it's the perfect time to expose students to fluency and high level thinking skills that including synthesizing, analyzing, and inferencing. Use IRAs as an opportunity to explicitly model thinking aloud as well.

The three (3) overarching components to an Interactive Read Aloud are questioning, monitoring (checking for understanding), and assessment of learning. For the sake of time, I will cover a component that I find most important, (rigorous) questioning.

"Students who get instruction without higher-order questions score in the fiftieth percentile on tests compared to the seventy-fifth percentile if the same students engage in lessons where there are many higher-order questions." (Gail, 1978). 

There lies the purpose for questioning! It's a leverage point to help student access higher level thinking. Remember when you learned about Bloom's Taxonomy a billion years ago? Well, it's still important. I'm not going to be discussing the mechanics of a read-aloud, as I'm sure you're all well aware of how to read a book out loud to an audience. It's the questioning piece that I'd like to help readers with. 

The biggest part of planning the questioning cycle is to READ THE TEXT FIRST! Don't just open up a book on the spot and spew out low level questions! Those days are SOOOOOOO over. Read, annotate, and plan for questioning prior to the actual IRA. So, here's where Bloom's comes in; be sure you reference Bloom's pyramid when planning questions. 

www.educatingmatters.com

A school director colleague of mine created this parabola that I'd love to share with you. If you reuse it please be sure to give him the credit for his work. 



C. Elliott, LEAD Public Schools, 2015

So, when planning for the questioning cycle, it's best to start with a high complexity question. Think about where scholars ARE vs. where we want them to be. The natural tendency is to ask low level questions so that students experience success. However, only asking those questions doesn't strength them as thinkers and honestly is a disservice to them. Please plan student misconceptions ahead of time so you aren't caught off guard. As students answer correctly, continue on with your read-aloud. However, if a student answers a question incorrectly, scaffold down until the student gets a grasp and then scaffold back up! Please be sure to enjoy spontaneous moments in the classroom; this parabola isn't bible. It's simple a suggested way to question in your classroom. ***I'll stop here for today but look for the next post with more details and exemplar question sets!! That model the parabola above. Until then, Read, Rule, Reign, K. Charles
P.S.- If you've enjoyed reading this post please leave a comment with some feedback (adjusting or otherwise). By the way, most of my information is based on readings from Jon Napier, Irene Fountas, and Gay Su Pinnell  just in case you'd like to continue reading on your own. 

Where I'm From Poem

If you're a public school educator and teach a subject area that is tested by the state, you quite possibly understand that post-testing season is the best part of the school year! We spend so much time on the roadmap to testing that we often tend to lose sight of the fun and creativity that ought to be involved in teaching and in learning. Once, TCAP was over I immediately went back to literature circles with my students and gave them the autonomy to pick their own books! One group chose the book The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake and I could not be happier. Eventually, the entire class wanted to read this book and this is where the idea started. 

As we delved deeper into the text, I realized that so many of my students were able to relate to the main character of this book, Maleeka Madison. The book allowed for organic dialogue about who we are as people, our impact on others, and the trajectory of our lives. The dialogue eventually birthed what I call the "Where I'm From" project. One of the many components of this project involved creating a "Where I'm From" poem. Originally authored by George Ella Lyons, the poem was a response to another poem written by a friend. "The list form is simple and familiar, and the question of where you are from reaches deep," says Lyons. The poem template has since spread all over the world! I learned so much more about myself as well as my students as we worked on our individual poems. Writing really allowed for personal reflection and a deeper look into self. 


Spend some time writing one up with your child this summer! Share the product if you please by emailing them to: readrulereign@gmail.com. 

In the spirit of sharing, here's one that I enjoyed reading from one of my lovely students (names have been changed to respect student's privacy): 

Where I'm From...
I am from mom's sweet walnut brownies 
from colorful fruit salads that remind me of a rainbow, and 
bananas brighter than the sun. 
I am from the blue and purple accents in my home, and 
the scent of red velvet cake. 
I am from the beautiful red roses that smell like sweet honey 
and the oak trees whose long limbs I remember as if they were my own.

I am from praying every night and watching funny movies
from Kate and Tom.
I am from nail biting and thinking about tomorrow
from kind hearts. 

I'm from "Stay away from drama!" and "Kill negativity with kindness."
from Thank You Lord for All You've Done for Me by: Walter Hawkins.
I am from learning about how to treat others with love
from Tennessee and the Base, Harrison, and Harp families. 

I'm from shrimp and salads
from my uncle working in the prison system so long that they named a facility in his honor.
It's called the Charles B. Base Complex
from baby pictures and notes from my birth mother under my momma's bed. 

                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                       

Theory of Change

My theory of change is firmly planted on high expectations for every child. In order to educate, impact and mold scholars into productive members of society, it is important to expect the best. When students are held to high standards, they work hard and mirror those expectations. Day in and day out, my students are charged with the task of meeting and exceeding their goals due to my high teacher expectations. There is no doubt in my mind that students can rise to the occasion when they are confident that we as educators believe and have faith in their abilities to succeed. 

Haïti Chérie

It's been a few weeks since I have returned from Haiti! There is so much to share about the tremendous experience that I was afforded. Let me start off by saying thank you to every one of my friends and Twitter family who contributed in some way! I am so thankful and pray that God continuously blesses you all as you continue to bless others.

I had so many emotions prior to my trip back to Haiti! I felt guilty for not having returned sooner, anxious about what to expect, and disappointed in what was taking place academically throughout the island. Those who know me, know that I am an advocate for balanced literacy in and out of the classroom. It's the only way to ensure genuine teaching and learning takes place. So as I prepared with a great team of educators to go to Haiti, it was evident in our plans that the goal was to bring that methodology to Haiti. I wasn't sure how teachers as well as students would respond but prayed that God would give each person a receptive mind and heart. At the same time, it was my earnest prayer that God would rid me of the "Saviour complex." I knew that the mission wasn't to go and save these teachers, rather it was to go and best help them to help themselves.

Along with 5 other educators (present and former), we visited several schools and modeled balanced literacy in the classroom. In addition to the modeling, all of the teachers trained received materials to continue the work in their classrooms! It was such a blessing to see students and teachers alike being blessed by what we had to offer. During my time there, we were able to converse and even make schedule changes to accommodate the new learning. I was able to speak to students and inspire them about as much as they inspired me!

Public and private school education alike has been made free to all children in Haiti! However, due to unforeseen circumstances with budget, (many) teachers have not been paid in as much as 7 months by the government. Not one time did I hear a complaint from teachers. Students aren't equipped with books and materials as promised. Not one did time did I hear a complaint from students. They inspired me more than they could possibly fathom. I'm so much more grateful for the life that I live here in the states and the education that I'm able to provide to students, year after year.

I'm not sure sure how to end this!

But I will say, this is just the beginning. I really pray that I can do more. I'm staying in contact with a few of the teachers and waiting on God to reveal what I ought to do next.

Read, Rule, Reign

-Karen

Her first ever picture map! 

Whatever we were doing must have been fun!

Waiting on scholars to finish national exams before we go in for modeling. 

Modeling a shared writing activity! The teachers and students were extremely intrigued. 

Modeling an interactive read aloud for teachers!

QR Codes and Literacy (+ FREEBIES!!)

Hope all has been well with in the new year! As promised, I've come on to share with you something new that I've been using in my classroom this school year. Before we even begin, go ahead and download the QR code reader (free) onto your tablet or smartphone. Done? Ok, great! The use of QR codes is a phenomenal way to infuse technology into literacy in the classroom.

QR is short for "quick response." It can be used on book pages to offer a read-aloud of a text, more information, videos, vocabulary help, reflection questions and much more. It can be used my early finishers, struggling readers or in writing stations to allow for independent writing. QR codes are extremely engaging, a great way to keep students working while you're pulling a small group, and fine way to integrate technology into a common core curriculum that calls for it.

Using it is very simple. If you run into any trouble, feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible (readrulereign@gmail.com).

How do you use it?

How do we use it?

1) Go to:  http://qrcode.kaywa.com/dashboard/

2) Decide what information you want to create (choose URL, Facebook, text, etc.)

3)  Plug in the website or text

4)  Slide the button to “static” not “dynamic”

5)  Push “generate code”                                             

6)  Copy and paste the code where you want it.  

7)  Scan the code with your reader 

* Thanks to my professor, M. Maxwell for the quick and easy directions.

What I ended up doing for the my first set of QR codes is laminating them and using scotch tape to keep them nicely placed on the pages of the text Eight Days: A Story of Haiti. 

As a freebie, I'm attaching my Scan to Learn info for you to see (and possibly use)! Copy and paste as you please, but PLEASE give me the intellectual credit for my work by citing readrulereign.blogspot.com. Enjoy and let me know how it works in your classroom.

Read, Rule and Reign,

Karen C.

Eight Days: A Story of Haiti
by: Edwidge Danticat

Grade Span Focus: 4^th-5^th grade

Common Core State Standards:

        RI.5.1.Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing   inferences from the text.

        RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.

             RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a   text (e.g., graphic novel; multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

        L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word      meanings.

Teaching Point:

This book is a testament to the fact that Reading and Literacy can be taught across various content areas. As an early educator, it was my misconception that Reading could not be taught outside of reading class or a Reading focused small-group. However, upon reading Mraz, Vacca, & Vacca’s Content Area Reading, it became clear that Reading could be taught across content areas. This book Eight Days: A Story of Haiti is especially dear to my heart because it documents a young child’s experience during the historical earthquake that took place in Haiti (January 2010). I still have family members that live there and who were gravely affected by the aftermath of this tragic natural disaster. This text can be used as an entry point to discuss natural disasters in Science class or systems put into place around the world to assist after natural disasters in Social Studies. Additionally, Eight Days: A Story of Haiti can be used to teach how a narrator’s perspective can influence how a story is told, as well as how imagery contributes to the meaning of a text.

Getting to Know E. Danticat (Prior to pg w/ "A Note from the Author"

Picture of Author, Edwidge Danticat

 Question relating to CCSS (ELA) RL.5.7
Making a connection between illustration and tone

Read-aloud of Eight Days: Story of Haiti by me (Karen C.)  

 Question on color and it's impact on the text. (pgs 20-21)

 Video on figurative language! 

 Explanation of conch-blowing Maroon on Champs de Marz Plaza
(pg.17)

 Close reading for examples of figurative language throughout the text. 

The "Just Right" Class

            As teachers, I know that we grapple with finding the right balance between engaging yet meaningful lessons. I’d like to believe that none us spend hours planning lessons that will intentionally put our students to sleep, discourage their spirits, or leave them wondering what exactly they learned that particular day. However, let’s be real, colleagues, it does in fact happen. I recently read two quality articles, Kathleen Cushman’s “Mind on Fire” and Henry L. Roediger III’s “The Science of Successful Learning.” The greatest takeaways from the readings were the motivation equation mentioned in Cushman’s article and the positive stance on testing mentioned in Roediger’s article.

            There are days where, as an educator, we want to believe we have the best lesson plan! However, we watch the looks on our students’ faces and have to stare back at the reality; our students aren’t feeling it! On those days, our students leave and we feel as though we have failed them. Well, I’ll speak for myself and say I’ve felt that way on several occasions on this teaching journey of mine. However, the motivation equation in “Mind on Fire” is a tool that I will be holding on to as I plan each and every lesson plan from this day forward. I’ve got to prevent this from happening less often than more. The equation is based on an idea created by UCLA’s Center for Mental Health, which states: V (value) x E (expectation) = M (motivation).  In this equation, if either value or expectation ceases to exist, there will be absolutely no motivation within students. What I understand from this equation is that in order for students to buy-in and feel motivated to learn, they must feel as though the content will serve a purpose and that they will be supported and cheered on thru the learning process. In the article, a case study is discussed, showing how successful students were when they found value in the content and had support from teachers and peers. In order for that to happen, teachers, we have to be intentional in our planning to create opportunities for students to receive both value and expectation.

            Henry L. Roediger’s “The Science of Successful Learning,” was a great read because it confirmed by position on the goodness of testing. Too often, many educators are against standardized testing due to unfortunate political gain and the outcomes of testing being over-sensationalized in the media. However, it may be best to look at testing as a chance to enhance learning. That can only be done when immediate feedback is given on student responses.  I find that my students learn best when misconceptions are cleared almost immediately. That may mean more work on our part, but the long-terms benefits outweigh all the hard work on our end. I find it to be best practice when I quiz students and we grade the quiz immediately. We can do a whole-group review and clarify misunderstandings.  As for writing pieces, I find it best to grade them the same night and give in-depth feedback to students. We can even discuss the feedback using data talks. Testing can be a great tool if used to assure that our students have gained something from the material taught and studied.

            Looking for engaging instructional strategies that engage the brain? Check out Marcia L. Tate’s Worksheets Don’t Grown Dendrites. Thanks to this book, my students will be seeing the play “James and the Giant Peach” tomorrow! Have no fear; I’ve got a few Common Core State Standards linked to the activities and reflection portion of this field trip. My students have been struggling with the skill of determining the theme and this great tool will help me to assist them and in a fun way! 

            If you don’t remember anything else, remember this, the “just right” classroom is one that centered on student learning and engagement.

            For more information on what I’ve discussed in this article:

Cushman, K. (2014). Minds on Fire. Getting Students to Mastery, 4, 38-43.

Roedinger, H.L., (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge:
            Belknap Press.

Tate, M. (2010). Worksheets Don’t Grow Dendrites. New York: Corwin Press.