When we invite students into literature circles, we commit to teaching processes and skills rather than hyperfocusing on the surface features of any one title. Literature circle work provides teachers the opportunity to discover and leverage so much about their individual students and the strengths that they bring to the table. There is space to discover how we can help kids grow as learners too. This happens through effective formative assessment practices. Formative assessment is…
As students engage in the work of literature circles, teachers assume a variety of roles. Early in the process, roles and behaviors require defining. Teachers who take the time to demonstrate how they want their students to behave as cooperative learners are often rewarded by higher quality discussion, comprehension, and group engagement. In the beginning, mini-lessons might focus on any number of topics, depending on the diverse needs of your students. Starting a dialogue rather than stating…
Most of the teachers that I work with have inherited students who are not yet accustomed to the cooperative learning structures and processes that drive effective literature circles. As a result, the honeymoon is often over far too soon as teachers begin confronting the reality of this learning environment: it’s a bit messier than what happens when we seat kids in rows, ply them with paper, and direct them to keep quiet unless they raise…
Planning to launch a literature circles experience requires teachers to begin with the end in mind. Considering what we want kids to know and be able to do at the end of the journey is a good place to begin, and rather than focusing on teaching specific books or titles, attending to identified skills and essential questions lends meaning and purpose to the work that will be done. Students should be reading books that are appropriate…
That’s what the research process is truly about, wouldn’t you agree? So much of what we hope to teach can begin with what kids are passionate about, and many of the teachers I work with know from experience that when new learning journeys are fueled by passionate inquiry the rewards are great. How do we help kids define and begin chasing their passions as researchers? How do we help them integrate what they love with what we want them…
Studio kids and teachers have been spending the last several weeks writing presents for those who mean the most to them, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s get-together at Daemen College. Some will be participating in peer review, others will be peer-editing and revising, and all of us are excited about being interviewed by one of our own. Sarah Hanson is a ninth grade student from Alden High School and a newly published reporter. She writes…
I spent yesterday with the high school English Department at Depew Union Free School District. These folks invited me in to help them approach formative assessment as a process that leads to instructional improvement rather than a product that leads to grades. They’ve begun exploring the 6+1 Traits of Writing, considering what their middle school colleagues have been up to, and looking to new tools for support. Wordle was a big hit yesterday. I introduced…
This post is for the teachers who hang out with me at the WNY Young Writers’ Studio, because Betsy asked: Ideas are but one of the Six Traits of Writing, and this is where we’re beginning tomorrow in Mrs. Urbanski’s sixth grade class. When the kids come in, I’m going to ask them to take their shoes off. Chaos might ensue soon afterward, and even if it does, I’ll try to remind them that attending…
Thoughts?
Allowing assessment to become an informative piece of the instructional process can start with very small steps, and in my experience, starting small prevents overwhelm and allows the true meaning of the formative assessment process to be preserved a bit better over time. Many of the teachers that I work with rely upon the 6+1 Traits of Writing in their efforts to help students better understand what good writing looks like and how they might…