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Make your circle times successful by following the tips listed below:

Make circle time short and extend the time over the course of the year.

While some groups are ready for circle time, others just can't sit still. Circle time is not mandatory. You may want to wait a few months, and use only informal small group activities like book readings to help move children to readiness. Try circle time again as children mature.

You can start out very short. One active song can be a great circle time for the youngest of children or a very active group of older children. You can increase the length of time as the group shows that it is ready for more. Usually five to ten minutes is a good length for a circle time. Rarely will a twenty-minute circle time be successful, but the only way to judge the appropriate length is how the group reacts. As children grow you may be able to comfortably extend the time.

Find a creative way to invite children to circle time.

Develop your own way to invite the children to circle time. One childcare provider plays a drum beat and everyone comes running. Another caregiver begins a simple hand-clapping rhythm and the children are drawn over to join in. Others sing a song. Find what you like and what makes the children excited to join the circle.

Learn transitions to move the event along.

A few transition songs, chants, or games will help you make your circle time smooth. There are good transition songs that get the children to move from sitting to standing and vice versa. You may also want to use transitions to end your circle time.

Find activities that allow children to participate.

Children enjoy circle time more and behave much better if we give them ways to participate rather than demand that they simply sit and listen. Give the children a role in the story you are reading. You might say, "Listen carefully and clap your hands when we come to the part about the thunderstorm in the story." Consider the children to be your sound effects experts when you read them a story. It really brings the magic of storytelling alive.

Children need to move their large and small muscles.

Keep circle time active. Do exercises in place, jump or turn around in a circle. One caregiver made a big die from two old milk cartons and wrote exercise words such as jumping and hopping on each side. She asks one child to roll the die each day. If it is the 12th of the month, they do that exercise 12 times. This is one great way to keep both the kids and you healthy and strong. Great circle times are musical. Give your circle time some zing by using simple percussion musical instruments to help keep the children's attention. Make a simple shaker and use it to make the sound of the rain when you read a story to the children. Drums are wonderful for signaling the end and beginning of a story. Sing, sing, sing. Don't worry about your voice. More important than singing in key is sharing the song with the children.

Use circle time to present new ideas.

Some caregivers use circle time to build children's problem-solving abilities. They teach the children to solve their own problems through a process called conflict resolution. When children have a problem getting along during free play, the caregiver doesn't solve the problem for them; instead the children are asked to speak to each other about the problem and try to work out a solution that is agreeable to everyone involved. Even three-year-olds can work out some of their own problems. The learning is extended at circle time by acting out real problems that the children have had on that day. Simple puppets can be used to act out a problem and then either share the solution the children have found or ask the group to share their ideas. Either way, the children are learning from the solutions that other children have found to work.

Circle time can be a place to discuss problems.

Older preschoolers are capable of using circle time to work out real problems in the classroom. One child care practitioner asked the children to talk about the problem of pushing that regularly happened when they were going outside for playtime. The children came up with some new rules and the caregivers wrote these rules down for the group. The rules were not all that different from the rules you might come up with, but since the children did it themselves they remembered and followed the new rules more easily. Make sure you pick a straightforward problem that is not overwhelming for the children. Help the children listen to each others' ideas. Sometimes they find new and original solutions.

Show and tell

Sometimes show-and-tell can make children who are not getting fancy new toys feel deprived. But there is value in giving children a chance to talk with others during circle time. One simple solution for older preschoolers is the game of Mystery Bag.

Buy an inexpensive medium-size tote bag at the craft store and decorate it with paint. Give each child a turn to take the bag home and bring in an object from home that is not a toy. Children then need to ask questions to the child who has brought the object, like a game of twenty questions. This is great language skills practice. Children get practice asking questions and have to remember what has been asked already. The child who has brought the article in has to answer the questions. This mystery bag is a popular activity that avoids the showing off of expensive new toys and the envy and materialism they generate.

TIPS 15-13

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Successful circle times (Better Kid Care)

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While some groups are ready for circle time, others just can't sit still. Circle time is not mandatory. You may want to wait a few months, and use only informal small group activities like book readings to help move children to readiness. Try circle time again as children mature.

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Dolch-every grade level

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Dolch Sight Words List - Sight Words: Teach Your Child to Read

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Dolch Word Lists All the Dolch sight word lists, divided by grade, also available as printable PDFs. More Dolch Sight Word Lessons Five techniques for teaching Dolch sight words. Learn proven ways to introduce words, reinforce learning, and correct mistakes. … Continued

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Pearson

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Abstract

Repeated interactive read-alouds, a systematic method of reading aloud, allow teachers to scaffold children's understanding of the book being read, model strategies for making inferences and explanations, and teach vocabulary and concepts. A storybook is read three times in slightly different ways in order to increase the amount and quality of children's analytical talk as they answer carefully crafted questions. During the first reading, teachers introduce the story's problem, insert comments, ask a few key questions, and finally ask a "why" question calling for extended explanation. This is accompanied by elaborations on a few key vocabulary words. Second reads capitalize on children's growing comprehension of the story by providing enriched vocabulary explanations and asking additional inference and explanation questions. Third reads consist of guided reconstruction of the story in which children recount information as well as provide explanations and commentary.

These techniques have shown to be effective in increasing children's engagement, understanding, and appreciation of literature in preschool and kindergarten settings.

Introduction

Research is mixed on the value of reading aloud to children aged 3 to 6. On one hand, researchers have validated that reading aloud affects vocabulary development (Robbins & Ehri, 1994; Whitehurst et al., 1999), acquisition of literary syntax and vocabulary (Purcell-Gates, McIntyre, & Freppon, 1995), story recall (Morrow & Smith, 1990), and sensitivity to the linguistic and organizational structures of narrative and informational text (Duke & Kays, 1998). Studies have shown that preschoolers make gains in expressive language even when the duration of story reading interventions are short (e.g., Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000). In contrast, researchers have found only a modest relationship between the frequency and quality of parent-child read-alouds during preschool and later first-grade reading achievement (Scarborough & Dobrich, 1994). Researchers have also found a negative relationship between the amount of time teachers spend reading aloud in kindergarten and children's decoding skills (Meyer, Wardrop, Stahl, & Linn, 1994). These studies suggest that merely reading books aloud is not sufficient for accelerating children's oral vocabulary development and listening comprehension. Instead, the way books are shared with children matters.

Effective read-aloud techniques

Research has demonstrated that the most effective read-alouds are those in which children are actively involved asking and answering questions and making predictions rather than passively listening (Dickinson, 2001). These read-alouds are called interactive or dialogic and result in gains in vocabulary (Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000), comprehension strategies and story schema (Van den Broek, 2001), and concept development (Wasik & Bond, 2001). Merely inviting children to talk during interactive read-alouds, however, is not sufficient to accelerate their literacy development. Instead, growth is related to how frequently they engage in analytic talk (Dickinson & Smith, 1994). Analytic talk involves making predictions or inferences that explain a character's motivation or connect events from different parts of the story. Teachers prompt children to engage in analytical thinking by making comments that model such thinking and then asking thoughtful questions.

Other activities boost the value of reading aloud to young children. For example, research has demonstrated that the following activities increase comprehension and language development: inviting preschoolers and kindergartners to retell or dramatize stories (Cornell, Sénéchal, & Brodo, 1988; Pellegrini & Galda, 1982); reading several books on a similar topic and inviting children to play with objects related to the concepts or characters introduced in these books (Rowe, 1998; Wasik & Bond, 2001); reading a book repeatedly (Crago & Crago, 1976); inserting short definitions for some words while reading aloud (Collins, 2004; Elley, 1989); and encouraging children to use these same words when they answer questions, discuss book events, (Hargrave & Sénéchal, 2000; Robbins & Ehri, 1994), or describe illustrations (Reese & Cox, 1999). Thus, effective interactive read-alouds include a systematic approach that incorporates teachers' modeling of higher-level thinking, asking thoughtful questions calling for analytic talk, prompting children to recall a story in some way within a reasonable time frame, reading a single book repeatedly, and reading books related by topic. It also involves a systematic approach to developing children's understanding of vocabulary, such as inserting short definitions of words and phrases during reading.

Two recent methods for reading aloud to children aged 3 to 6 include many of these research-based techniques. Klesius and Griffith (1996) described a technique for reading aloud to small groups of at-risk kindergartners that they claimed extended children's talk about books. Using interactive read-alouds, teachers point to details in illustrations and ask questions about vocabulary words as they read. They extend children's responses by asking them to clarify and explain. After reading, children recall a portion of, or the entire, story. Beck and McKeown (2001) developed a similar technique, called Text Talk, to help kindergarten and primary-grade children expand vocabulary. As teachers read, they draw attention to a few vocabulary words by inserting short definitions. They also ask open-ended questions in which children must provide explanations rather than one-or two-word responses. After reading, teachers discuss vocabulary words in the context of the story and in other contexts.

Our experiences with effective read-aloud practices

As researchers and practitioners of early literacy development, we have demonstrated and observed teachers reading aloud in hundreds of preschool and kindergarten classrooms over the last three decades. Despite the wealth of research on effective read-alouds and practical models for such approaches, we have noticed that fewer teachers seem to be attempting to read what we consider sophisticated stories and nonfiction books in preschool and kindergarten in favor of reading easier, predictable, and concept books (often in Big Book format), especially in classrooms with high percentages of at-risk children. Sophisticated picture books include, for example, stories in which readers must infer characters' motivations and thoughts and connect them to actions (i.e., causes and effects). These books have a rich repertoire of vocabulary. Examples include Henny Penny (Galdone, 1968), Oonga Boonga (Wishinsky, 2001), and Owl Moon (Yolen, 1987). These books can be contrasted with predictable books in which readers do not need to infer character motivation, feelings, or thoughts in order to enjoy the repeated words and actions. Examples include Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Martin, 1967) or Over in the Meadow (Wadsworth, 1992). While predictable books have a role in preschool and kindergarten literacy programs, sophisticated picture books play an additional role of expanding vocabulary and enhancing oral comprehension.

Because we were aware that fewer teachers seemed to be reading sophisticated picture books as a daily part of their early literacy programs, we worried that many children were not engaging in analytic talk. As we wondered how we could help teachers systematically promote this kind of talk, we considered Cochran-Smith's (1984) argument that effective teachers model the role of ideal reader as they read aloud. An ideal reader is one who intuitively and unconsciously makes appropriate inferences and predictions and constantly rethinks current events in a story in relation to past events. Thus, effective teachers model what ideal readers do by explicitly talking aloud as they read, making children aware that they are predicting, making an inference, or changing their ideas about what is happening in a story. While thinking aloud is a frequently used technique to help children interpret literature in the elementary grades (e.g., Keene & Zimmerman, 1997; Miller, 2002), we wanted to adapt this technique for much younger children. We wanted teachers to model making comments that would reveal implicit information that preschool and kindergarten children would not likely be able to produce on their own. Therefore, we crafted an approach to reading aloud to reflect insights drawn from current research and theories of an ideal reader as well as our own experiences. The purpose of this article is to describe what we call repeated interactive read-alouds using sophisticated storybooks.

Repeated interactive read-alouds: first reading of a picture storybook

The first read-aloud includes four components: book introduction, vocabulary support techniques, analytical comments and questions, and an after-reading "why" question. These techniques have been carefully selected to help children build a stronger first understanding of the story, including some of its vocabulary.

Book introductions

Research has shown that effective readers quickly begin to infer story problems and use their tentative ideas about problems to process story information (Van den Broek, 2001). However, problems present challenges for young children: They are often not directly stated in the text (Paris & Paris, 2003; Stein & Glenn, 1979), and young children are relatively insensitive to problems and goals compared to characters and actions (Benson, 1997; Stein & Glenn). Because young children are not likely to focus on the story problem, we craft book introductions to make the problem explicit.

For example, Henny Penny (Galdone, 1968) is about a hen who mistakenly believes that a piece of sky has fallen on her head. She is so upset by this event that she acts foolishly and rushes to tell the king about this occurrence. She does not recognize the danger posed by the fox when he invites her and her friends to take a short cut right into his cave (the actual problem of the story, which only readers and not the characters realize). In order to construct a three- or four-sentence introduction we either explicitly state or strongly imply the main problem of the story. For example, to introduce Henny Penny we might say,

In this story you are going to meet a silly, foolish hen who makes a big mistake. She thinks a catastrophe, a really bad disaster, is about to happen and runs to tell the king about it. A lot of her friends believe her mistake, and they all get in trouble because they are so silly.

As we give the book introduction, we show the front cover and sometimes the back cover or end papers and the title page (rather than all the illustrations as is done in a picture walk). For example, the front cover of Henny Penny illustrates the main character and the end papers depict Henny Penny running up a hill toward a castle. As we show these pages we complete the book introduction:

Here is Henny Penny running to tell the king about the catastrophe. But I have to warn you, she never makes it to the castle. Let's find out what happens to her on the way to tell the king about the catastrophe.

We do not recommend that, during a first read, teachers have children identify book parts such as the front and back cover or top and bottom of the page, tell what the author or illustrator does, or discuss the dedication page. We have found that these activities divert children's attention away from the main goal of a first read-aloud-to enjoy a good story by focusing on its meaning. As we read a book during a first read, we use expression, gestures and dramatic pauses, variations in the pace of reading, and plenty of eye contact. We have found these techniques highly effective at capturing and maintaining children's interest and enjoyment, even when reading longer and more sophisticated books.

Inserting vocabulary support

Before reading the book aloud, we select 5 to 10 vocabulary words or phrases from the book that we will highlight or define during reading. These words are critical to understanding the story and are likely to be encountered in other books or useful in nonbook contexts (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002). Sometimes the book does not include specific vocabulary that ideal readers would use in their analytical thinking about this particular book, so we insert these additional vocabulary words into the book introduction and our comments as we read aloud. For example, we would insert the words mistake, catastrophe, disaster, and foolish while reading Henny Penny because these words are critical for analyzing the problem in relationship to the main character's motivations and traits. Once we select vocabulary words and phrases, we highlight the words or enhance word and phrase meanings in one or more of five ways:

1. We insert a short phrase or sentence that defines or explains a word, such as saying "Feast, that's a really big dinner."

2. We point to salient parts of the illustration that help clarify a word or phrase meaning, such as pointing to the illustration of an acorn as we read the word in the text.

3. We use dramatic gestures, such as demonstrating the meaning of shrugged by shrugging our shoulders as we read.

4. We use voice, such as making clear the fox's sly intentions by reading the text with a droll voice.

5. We vary the pacing with which we read words or phrases, such as reading more quickly what Henny Penny says to demonstrate her foolish rush.

It only takes a few moments to plan how to support children's understanding of each word, but the most effective read-alouds are ones in which we actually decide which of the vocabulary enhancers we will use for each vocabulary word. For words that are to be clarified verbally, we plan short explanations that are "slipped" into the story reading so the definitions are part of the actual story without interrupting the flow of reading.

Comments and questions to support and extend comprehension

During reading we make comments that demonstrate analytic thinking at three or four junctures in which ideal readers would make inferences about a character's thoughts, feelings, or motivations, or we predict upcoming events. When we comment about the story, we often use language to signal our mental activity by using the phrase "I'm thinking." For example, in the scene where Henny Penny exclaims, "The sky is falling. I must go and tell the king" (unpaged), we may comment, "I'm thinking this is where the hen is doing something really foolish. She isn't even looking down to try and find out what really hit her. I think she is looking up instead of down." Then we would go on to ask, "Why does the hen think a piece of the sky has fallen on her head?" We have found that children's answers to questions following our analytical comments are more likely to be related to the story. This teaching sequence provides a deliberate and systematic approach toward expanding children's comprehension. We have noticed that most young children are not yet capable of engaging in analytic thinking and talking without teacher modeling or questioning.

After-reading questions

After reading the entire book, we ask a "why" question requiring children to make inferences about and explain several story events. Then we use follow-up probing questions to support children's ability to answer broader explanation questions. For example, after a first reading of Henny Penny, we might ask the explanation question "Why didn't Foxy Loxy just jump up and eat those silly birds? Why did he lead them into his cave?" In order to help children answer this question we might comment, "I'm thinking that even though the fox is strong and has big teeth, there are a lot of birds. How many friends were with Henny Penny?" Recalling the number of birds will help children infer that the fox may have only been able to catch and eat one of the birds and the others might have escaped. We also help children consider this question by using illustrations to support their thinking. In this version of the story, the last illustration shows Foxy Loxy and Mrs. Loxy and their seven children peering out from the cave. We turn to this illustration and say, "You know I'm remembering this illustration right here. This might give me a hint about why the fox led the birds into the cave. What is the hint?" This comment might help children infer that Foxy led the birds into the cave so that his children would also have a dinner, and his wife could help catch the birds.

Second interactive read-aloud

Second read-alouds occur a day or two after first reads. The purpose is to enrich children's comprehension of the story and provide further opportunities for children to engage in analytic talk. During second book introductions, we remind children that they have read this book before and that they will remember some things from the book; for example, we might say,

We read this book yesterday, and you probably remember that it is about a hen who misinterprets something that happened to her. Who can remember what she thought happened to her? What was the catastrophe, and what did she decide to do about it?

We continue to highlight the same vocabulary; however, in a second read we verbally define more words. For example, during a first read of Owl Moon, in which a father and a child go owling in the woods late one night, we might simply dramatize how the owl pumped his wings. During the second read, we would dramatize pumped and insert a verbal explanation (e.g., "That means he flapped his wings up and down very hard").

During the second read, we continue modeling analytic comments, but we ask more frequent questions that help children make additional inferences. In the first read, our comments focus on getting children to infer what the main character is thinking and feeling or to connect main events with their causes. Thus, our comments and questions during the second read might focus on the other characters' motivations or thoughts. Just as in a first read, we prepare children to answer analytical questions by first modeling analytic comments that make explicit some, but not all, of the information needed to adequately answer the question. For example, in Henny Penny, after Cocky Locky asks to join Henny Penny on her way to tell the king that the sky is falling, we might comment, "I'm thinking that Cocky Locky believes that a piece of the sky really did fall on Henny Penny's head." Later, when Ducky Lucky joins Henny Penny and Cocky Locky, we comment, "Henny Penny has now convinced two other birds that the sky is falling." Then we could ask, "If they had been with Henny Penny when the acorn fell on her head, what do you think they would have said when she shouted, 'Oh, my, the sky is falling, we must go and tell the king'?"

Like first reads, we end second reads by asking another explanation question. Sometimes we ask children about something that might happen beyond the story. For example, we might ask, "What do you think the king would have done if Henny Penny had managed to get to the castle and told him the sky was falling?"

Third interactive read-aloud

Third reads occur a few days after the second read when the story is still fresh in children's minds but when they must remember information across some time. This close repetition is also important for reinforcing vocabulary carefully developed during the first and second read. Third interactive read-alouds differ from first and second read-alouds because they integrate a guided reconstruction of the story with the teacher's reading of some of the story text. Reconstructions are retellings of story events along with explanations about what caused those events and what characters are thinking during the events. Therefore, guided reconstructions are more effective than mere retellings because children use analytical talk to explain why events occurred.

In third read-aloud book introductions, we again acknowledge that children are familiar with the book and its content and ask questions about the title or characters, such as "We've read this book two times before, so I know you know its title. What is it?" We usually allow children to respond together to this easily answered question. We might continue to prompt children to reconstruct information by asking, "What other details do we see on the cover that we know are important for the story?" (e.g., prompting children to notice the acorn on the front cover of Henny Penny). We continue to focus on the story problem by asking, "We all remember Henny Penny's problem, don't we? Who would like to share that with us?" We are very careful with the number of questions we ask both during book introductions and during guided reconstruction. We have found that third read-alouds can become deadly when teachers overwhelm students with a barrage of questions.

We use two general prompts in guiding reconstruction of texts. Before reading some pages of the story, we point to the illustration and ask, "What's happening here?" We use this prompt as we show a double-spread illustration. Sometimes we use the second question "Do you remember what will happen next?" before turning to the next illustration. We only use this question when the next event is causally related to the event the children have just recalled. For example, in Owl Moon after reconstructing the event in which the characters hear the owl hoot in response to the dad's call, we might ask, "Do you remember what happens next?" because this scene provides a connection to the next event: seeing the owl.

After children reconstruct the events on one double spread, we might read the text. On longer books, we reread many pages of the text and have children reconstruct only a few pages; on shorter books, we allow children to reconstruct more of the story and read only a few pages of the text. The length of the book and children's responses guide our decisions of whether to read more or engage children in more reconstruction.

In third reads, teachers continue to insert verbal explanations of words, point to illustrations, and make dramatic motions. To further emphasize vocabulary in a third read, teachers extend some word meanings to a familiar context but not one included in the story. For example, to extend children's understanding of the word pumped in Owl Moon, we might say, Sometimes, when you are on the swings outside and want help we tell you to "pump your legs," and you move them back and forth to make yourself go up and back on the swing. The owl was moving his wings-pumping them up and down to fly through the sky.

Thus, each day of the repeated interactive read-aloud systematically builds and extends children's awareness and understanding of vocabulary. Table 1 presents an overview of the components for the three days of repeated interactive read-alouds.

First read-aloud

Second read-aloud

Third read-aloud: Guided reconstruction

Book introduction
Give a few sentences introducing the main character and central problem. Use illustrations on the book cover, back, and title page as needed.

Remind children that they know the characters and some things the character does. Ask questions about the characters and problem.

Invite children to identify the problem and describe the solution. Have children recall the title of the book.

Book reading
Insert vocabulary enhancements for 5-10 vocabulary words by pointing to illustrations, gesturing dramatically, or inserting a few definitions. Make comments that reveal what the main character is thinking or feeling. Ask a few follow-up analytical questions based on your comments.

Insert vocabulary enhancements for the same vocabulary, including more verbal definitions. Make comments that reveal what other characters are thinking or feeling. Ask more analytical follow-up questions.

Before reading a double page, show the illustration and ask, "What is happening here?" Follow up children's comments by extending comments or asking for clarification. Read some of the pages of text. When appropriate, before turning to the next page, ask, "Who remembers what will happen next?" Call attention to some vocabulary in different contexts.

After-reading discussion
Ask a "why" question that calls for explanation. Use follow-up questions to prompt answers. Demonstrate how to answer the question by saying, "I'm thinking...."

Ask another "why" question or ask, "What would have happened if...?" Use follow-up questions to prompt children's thinking.

Ask another "why" question or ask, "What would have happened if...?"

Repeated interactive read-alouds in action

Across three days of reading the same book, the strategies used in repeated interactive read-alouds provide children with an opportunity to engage more actively in the reading experience. During a first read, teachers take a more active role by reading the text and making comments; children are actively listening and sometimes comment or answer questions. During a second read, children participate more verbally by answering questions and commenting more frequently. In the third read-aloud, children take a highly active role as they reconstruct the story with teacher guidance. The following excerpts are taken from book introductions in a first, second, and third read of a story. They demonstrate how children's participation changes across time.

First read-aloud: Book introduction

In the story Oonga Boonga, no one can quiet Baby Louise who is crying so loudly that pictures fall off walls, neighborhood animals flee, and neighbors come calling to help. Despite attempts by every family member, only Louise's brother Daniel can soothe her. We read this book three times to a group of 4-year-olds in a Head Start center.

Teacher:

Today I'm going to read you a book called Oonga Boonga, and this story is about Baby Louise (points to front cover with illustration of Baby Louise and Daniel smiling at one another, then turns to the back cover and points to illustration of Baby Louise crying). Baby Louise is unhappy. She's crying and crying, and no one can stop her. I know one reason why babies cry; they cry because they're hungry. They cry when they're bored and want to see something funny. We're going to find out why Baby Louise is crying and what will help her stop crying. (Turns back to front cover) Here is Baby Louise and she's not crying is she? This might give us a hint about what stops her from crying.

In this book introduction, Lea (first author) provided reasons why babies might cry and hinted strongly at what would make Baby Louise stop crying by showing the front illustration of Daniel and Louise. She did all the talking while the children were actively listening.

Second read-aloud: Book introduction

The following day Lea read the book a second time to the children. She prompted the children to take a more active role in constructing the book introduction.

The second book introduction was jointly constructed by Lea and the children. Lea allowed and encouraged spontaneous comments and prompted the children to recall what they knew about the story.

Third read-aloud: Guided reconstruction book introduction

In the book introduction for the third read, Lea again prompted children's active engagement by asking them to reconstruct more of the story. The children remembered much of the discussion they had during the second read-aloud and included speculations of what might have happened if Daniel had tried alternative ways to quiet Baby Louise.

Thus, across these three introductions, it is clear that the children are building a richer, more detailed understanding of the story. By the third read, the children are clearly using analytic talk to move beyond what actually happened in the story to what might have happened.

Analytic talk in first and third read "why" questions

In the next section, we show how children's ability to use analytic talk increases from a first to a third interactive read-aloud. Here is their response to a "why" question during the first read:

The children were able to make explicit that Baby Louise was crying because she wanted her brother. They were beginning to grasp that the silly words her brother said had nothing to do with Louise stopping crying; it was her brother she wanted. Lea continued to explore this inference in both the second and third read with different "why" questions. By the third read, most children engaged in a more extended analytic discussion.

While Lea's original "why" question seemed beyond the children's understanding, turning to specific illustrations and posing alternative questions allowed children to be more successful in both understanding the questions and making the inferences needed to answer them. Most children realized that Daniel, not the silly words, was the key to getting Baby Louise to stop crying.

As shown in the excerpts from the three repeated readings of Oonga Boonga, our experiences suggest it is a powerful technique for extending children's vocabulary, their use of comprehension strategies, and their engagement with literature. We are consultants and directors of several Early Reading First grants currently using a repeated interactive read-aloud approach. While repeated interactive story reading is certainly not the only strategy used to enhance vocabulary and comprehension in these programs, it is the most systematic approach. The repeated interactive read-aloud approach requires that teachers study closely each book they read. They must craft effective comments and questions and be able to respond on the spot to children's answers, which often indicate misinterpretations and misunderstandings. However, it is critical that teachers use these strategies so that children engage in analytical thinking. We recommend that teachers read aloud a sophisticated picture book daily, along with many other kinds of books, including predictable books. Teachers with whom we have worked include repeated interactive read-alouds of a sophisticated storybook or nonfiction as a part of their daily whole-group literacy instruction.

Final thoughts

We have shown that the repeated interactive read-aloud technique is a research-based approach to comprehension and vocabulary development in preschool and kindergarten. We developed this approach to help teachers share picture books with young children, especially children with few home literary experiences, in ways that will allow them to enjoy our most sophisticated literature. It challenges both teachers and children to extend their thinking and their literary understanding in analytic discussions.

About the authors

McGee teaches at The Ohio State University (Ramseyer Hall, 29 W. Woodruff Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA). E-mail [email protected] Schickedanz teaches at Boston University in Massachusetts.

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Repeated Interactive Read-Alouds in Preschool and Kindergarten

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Repeated interactive read-alouds, a systematic method of reading aloud, allow teachers to scaffold children's understanding of the book being read, model strategies for making inferences and explanations, and teach vocabulary and concepts. A storybook is read three times in slightly different ways in order to increase the amount and quality of children's analytical talk as they answer carefully crafted questions.

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Use during teaching

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Teacher Toolkit: Nonverbal Signals Pre-K

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Click the "References" link above to hide these references.

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Stone, S. J., (1996). Promoting literacy through centers {Electronic version}. Childhood Education, 72, 240-242.

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Click the "References" link above to hide these references. Daniels, H., & Bizar, M. (1998). Methods that matter: Six structures for best practice classrooms. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G. (1996). Guided reading: Good first teaching for all children (grades K-2). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Fountas, I., & Pinnell, G.

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| | Filed Under: Guided Reading, Reading, Reading Centers

One of the most frequently asked questions I get from teachers who want to implement guided reading instruction is " What do the other students do while you are teaching guided reading? " This post will share TEN reading centers and activities that you can easily implement in your classroom and that your students will love.

Before we dive into these ideas I would like to say that independent reading is always what you want to strive for. Students in 4th and 5th grade really need to have the stamina to read for extended periods of time. If your students can do that already (or are capable of doing that with minimal accountability and not a lot of headache), stop reading this post and have them independent read and apply the reading skills from your mini-lessons while they read and write about their reading. However, if you teach students like the ones I teach (students who are reluctant, struggling readers who need that novelty and collaboration to read), keep reading for my favorite reading centers for upper elementary.

As I mentioned above, independent reading time is very important for students in upper elementary. They need to build their stamina and be able to read for extended periods of time. Independent reading center is a center that ALL of my students complete each day and some complete this twice a day. For independent reading, the students read books of their choice while applying the reading skills from our reading mini-lessons. To read about how I keep my students accountable for their reading, click here.

This reading center goes perfectly with independent reading (and is one of the ways that I keep my students accountable for their independent reading). One way that I implement reader's response is by having my students write bi-weekly letters about the book they are reading. They either write to me in their reader's notebooks or they write to a partner via our class blog. Click here to read more about the checklists I use to ensure my students' responses are rigorous, standards-based, and promote deep thinking.

In addition to the reader's response letters, I also like to mix thing up and have a variety of write about reading opportunities to keep my students engaged and challenged. To read more about these "write about reading" ideas and grab several freebies to implement in your classroom right away, click here or on the image below.

This reading center is a relatively new center option for my students. I have been using these reading game boards as a reading center for the past two years and my students (and myself) are loving them. I use one page grade level passages (helpful for building reading stamina) with an accompanying game board full of text dependent questions.
Want to try these reading games out in your classroom?
Sometimes we read the passage together as a class before centers start. Then, they spend the reading center time "playing" the game and answering the questions, which you can have them do orally or they could record them.
Want to try these reading games out in your classroom?
Another reading game that my students love are my Roll and Answer Reading Centers. These centers include a half-page passage with 11 text-dependent questions. The students roll a dice twice, find the sum, and then answer the question that matches the sum. This can be "played" with partners (and even as a version of BUMP) or independently.

The informational text reading center is a very important addition to my reading center rotations. Through this reading center, I am able to expose my students to a variety of informational topics and a variety of different types of informational text. I use this center to both target my students' interests and to integrate science and social studies into reading. Over the years, I have collected a library of books that align with our science and social studies topics. When I introduce a new topic, I pull out the books that match that topic and place them in the center. I use my Roll and Answer Reading Response to have the students think about, discuss, and respond to their reading. You can read more about this reading center and grab it for FREE by clicking here.

Similar to the informational reading center, I like to have a poetry reading center in my classroom to expose my students to a variety of poems. For this center, I place a couple of poetry collection books and sometimes printed poems that I know my students will enjoy and poetry response task cards. During the center, the students read a poem and respond to the poem using the task cards. Click here to grab the poetry task cards and response booklet I use for FREE.

The printed poem shown in this picture can be found in my Holiday Reading Bundle which contains an informational text, fiction text, and a poem for each holiday or season represented.

For more poetry reading centers that include poems and text-dependent questions, click here to see my new Poetry Reading Centers.

Partner reading center is one of my students' favorite reading centers. For my partner reading center, I like to mix things up and have several options. Sometimes my students simply read books together. Sometimes they read the same book and sometimes they read and discuss their own independent reading book. You can read more about how I implement partner reading and grab a freebie on this post.

Partner reading is also a great center to have the students partner read grade level passages that target specific skills. I have found that my students who read a grade level below really benefit from reading grade level text with a partner in this format. They support each other and both students are exposed to more complex text.

If you need passages that target specific reading skills, click here to see my reading units that each contain several passages written specifically to target grade level reading skills.

Magazines are always a hit with my students. They love the full color graphics and the variety of different high interest articles in the magazine. I usually have lots of magazines on hand from past subscriptions that I have paid for or were given to me. Check with your librarian for older magazines, too. I lucked out and got several class sets of Action this year to use with my reading intervention students. Even though the magazines were two years old, they were still super relevant for the students.

The great part about many magazines is they include comprehension questions and writing tasks to go with the articles. You could easily create a choice board with tasks for the students to complete. Here is a generic choice board that I use with my students when I don't have time to create a magazine specific choice board or when the magazine I am using doesn't have a lot of comprehension questions/tasks. I just fill in the number of activities and articles required and copy it for my students. Click here to grab the magazine reading center for free.

Another popular reading center for upper elementary students are reading task cards. The short tasks and focused question that are used in tasks cards make them very accessible to all students, especially struggling students.

Since my students take their standardized tests on the computer now (with lots of typed responses), I like to get them on the computer as often as possible during reading time. The good news is there are several different free ways to do this. Click on the links to read these blog posts to learn more about online sites you can use during reading time.

Quizizz (This post features a math quiz but this would be a good way to give quizzes on read alouds or guided reading groups)

Edcite (Great for targeted test prep)

Kidblog (No longer free but still affordable)

Want more hands-on activities and reading centers?
One thing that I have noticed instantly increases engagement and motivation is making activities hands-on. But, this is not always easy with upper elementary skills and standards. To implement a bit of hands-on practice, I use my reading puzzles and reading spinners. Click here to read more about these hands-on reading activities and grab the ones shown for FREE!

I begin my reading time with a read aloud (sometimes a chapter book like Wonder and sometimes a mentor picture book). As we read the book, we do lots of discussion and even writing together. I also like to give the students questions or a response to continue during their reading center time. You can see an example of this with the book The Wall by Eve Bunting by clicking here. I read the book aloud and have a mini-lesson with my students on a specific reading skill. Then, the task cards (that are free on the linked post) would be placed in a read aloud extension center for the students to complete that week.

Interested in learning more about the different read alouds I use in 4th and 5th grade? Click here to see all of my blog posts that share the different read alouds and mentor texts for a variety of skills and even holidays.

Do you use all of these reading centers? No, I don't use all ten of these reading centers at one time and some don't ever make their way into my reading time over the course of a year. It really depends on my students, their interests and their existing reading behaviors and needs. The reading centers you choose to use also depends on your available resources and how you teach reading.

How many centers do the students complete a day? My students complete 2-3 reading centers a day. One of their reading centers MUST be independent reading.

How long do your reading centers last? Each center lasts approximately 20 minutes. I am very strict on my students beginning their center immediately once we transition since our time is limited.

Do you assign reading centers or allow the students to choose? I have done both ways. It really depends on your students and their maturity levels, behavior, and motivation.

How do you handle behavior during reading centers? I teach the reading centers explicitly and teach/model the proper expectations for the quality of work and their behavior at the center. I spend the first month of school doing this. By doing the work upfront, I have minimal issues with behavior throughout the year. Also, the consistency of the reading centers also helps with behavior. They know exactly what is to be expected of them at each center. Click here to read a more detailed post about reading center management.

Want more articles about reading and freebies?

If you are still on the fence about whether or not reading centers will work with your students, click here to check out this post for five reasons to use reading centers in upper elementary. The post also shares a free paired passage reading center.

Want even more variety in your reading centers? Click here to read a post with THREE more of my favorite reading centers (better suited for specific skill review) and access free ones to try out.

Do you love reading centers but struggle with classroom management during reading center time? Check out my tips for reading centers management by clicking here.

If you would like to read about how I teach reading, click here to read a detailed breakdown of what reading instruction looks like in my 5th grade classroom.
If you are interested in reading about math centers, click here to check out all of my blog posts about guided math instruction and math centers.
Do you use any of these reading centers with your upper elementary students? Do you have another reading center that you use and love? I would love to hear about it in the comments.

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Filed Under: Guided Reading, Reading, Reading Centers One of the most frequently asked questions I get from teachers who want to implement guided reading instruction is " What do the other students do while you are teaching guided reading?

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Classroom managment

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It's frustrating.

You start your class working on an independent project, a writing assignment, or a rotation of centers, then begin quietly calling selected students for small-group instruction.

And for the first few minutes it goes well.

But just as you settle in and begin quality guided work with your small group, there is a disruption.

And then another . . . and another.

Perhaps you hear giggling and silliness.

Maybe you notice daydreaming and off-task behavior.

Maybe you feel the presence of two or three students standing behind you, waiting to ask a question or tattle on a classmate.

Whatever the case, if your students are unable to work without interrupting you or needing you at their beck and call, then you'll never be able to meet with small groups-at least not in a way that makes it worthwhile.

You'll have to stop and bark out warnings, reminders, and exhortations. You'll have to get up and pinball around the room. You'll have to check in, check on, and toggle your attention like an air-traffic controller, all the while thinking that perhaps the whole exercise is a waste of time.

When confronted with a classroom management issue like this, many teachers look for a particular technique to match the particular situation. (e.g., What do I do when students throw spit wads while my back is turned?)

But effective classroom management doesn't work this way. It isn't a first-aide kit of quick fixes you apply to existing problems. You can't say to yourself, "The students are throwing spit wads eh? Okay then, no problem, I'll just give them the old dopplehanger technique?"

No, to fix it, you have to go back to the root cause of the problem.

In this case, the students outside the small group are misbehaving because they're unprepared to work independently, and thus don't do it well. This is the root cause that must be addressed. Your class must first prove that they can work on their own- under your observing eye -for at least the length of time you wish to meet with small groups.

Only then can you start calling students to your back table.

To get to this point, your lessons prior to releasing your students to independent work must be vibrant, precise, and presented with clarity. Your students must know step-by-step what their independent responsibilities are and be able to refer to them on an easel, screen, or whiteboard. You have to check for understanding and guide them through a detailed practice of whatever it is you want them to do.

And once they do start their independent work, you must wean them off the expectation that you're available to guide, remind, or reteach individually what was taught to the entire class minutes before.

You have to show them through directed teaching and modeling that once the lesson has been taught, the responsibility for learning shifts in total from you to them.

Because that's what independent work is.

This understanding and realization, however, is incredibly empowering to students, and you'll notice dramatic improvement in listening, learning, focus, and concentration. But creating a fiercely independent class doesn't happen overnight.

Many students have such deeply ingrained learned helplessness that it can take three or four weeks before your class is ready for you to begin working with small groups. Once they prove their independence, though, you can begin pulling students without worry, stress, or interruption.

It's okay and a good idea to periodically peek up from your small group to make sure all is well. After all, good teaching requires you to verify anything and everything you ask of your students. But other than these momentary visual checks, you can focus entirely on your responsibilities.

And your students can focus on theirs.

If you haven't done so already, please join us. It's free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

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How To Manage Whole-Class Behavior While Working With A Small Group - Smart Classroom Management

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It's frustrating. You start your class working on an independent project, a writing assignment, or a rotation of centers, then begin quietly calling selected students for small-group instruction. And for the first few minutes it goes well.

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Article

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Stations

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Teaching to Inspire with Jennifer Findley

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| | Filed Under: Guided Reading, Reading

Teaching reading in 5th grade is one of the best parts of teaching 5th grade. The standards and text level are more rigorous than in primary grades, but the students are much more independent. The books the students read are much more entertaining and interesting to read as a teacher. The discussions can be quite meaningful and deep as well.

I have always taught reading using a workshop model that promotes students reading a lot of books (and a lot that they choose) and a variety of text. I try to teach reading in a way that promotes discussion and enjoyment of reading as well as provides the students with the skills to be successful readers (and writers). This post will breakdown how I teach reading in 5th grade.

Time Frame: 20 Minutes

Materials Needed: Mentor Texts, Standards Based Passages, Anchor Charts, Post-It Notes or Reader's Notebooks

Mini Lesson with a Mentor Text

I start each reading block with a mini lesson via some type of read aloud. I begin the lesson with an anchor chart that lists our reading skill or strategy for the day. It may say something like: Good readers identify a character's traits using details from the text so they can fully understand the character. Before I begin the read aloud, we go over the reading skill statement and any vocabulary that the students need to know.

Then I provide the students with a focus for our reading. An example focus would be: We have two characters in our book today. The two characters have distinct personalities and character traits. Their names are Bibel and Marcel. As we read and discuss, I want you to look for details from the book that help you identify the characters' traits.

Sometimes, I have sentence stems written on the chart to help the students when we get ready to discuss the skill or strategy. For example: _______ is _________. I know because in the story ____________.

Here is an example of chart for the mini lesson that the examples I used came from.

After reading and discussing the read aloud, the students are ready to apply the same skill or focus to their own reading. I tell the students: When you are reading your book today, I want you to determine at least one character trait that describes your character. I want you to support that trait with details from the story. They record their responses either on a post-it note or in their reader's notebook. We will come back to this during our closing and sharing time.

If I am teaching the same skill for the entire week (which I usually do- for more information about my reading pacing, click here), I follow this format:

Monday: Mentor text read aloud

Tuesday: Mentor text read aloud

Wednesday: Practice the skill with a common passage

Thursday: Practice the skill with a common passage
Click here to see the mentor texts that I recommend for the skills I teach (and some fun holiday ones that help me spiral review reading skills).
Friday: On Friday, I use my reading mini-lesson time to assess my students on the skill that I taught that week.

After the mentor text introductory lessons (either after Monday or Tuesday depending on how complex the skill is or how well my students do with the skill), I give an exit slip that has the students defining, explaining, or describing the skill. The results of this lets me know if the students are ready to begin independently applying the skill to independent reading or grade level passages. Click here or on the image below to read more about these specific exit slips and grab them for free!

Mini Lesson with a Common Passage

As much as I would love to use mentor texts all of the time with my students, I have found that my students greatly benefit when we read passages that are specifically written for the standard or skill. To do this, I use passages from my Reading Supplemental Resources on TpT. I follow a similar sequence with reading passages as I do with mentor texts. The only difference is that the students have the passage in front of them and are able to read along and highlight/underline/annotate the text as I read. After reading, we often discuss the skill or strategy as it relates to the specific passage.
These passages and organizer come from my Main Idea Reading Unit.
After discussing it, the students start writing down their thoughts. If we do not have time to finish writing during our mini lesson time, we move into guided reading groups and they continue writing their thoughts down independently. Sometimes I assign a new question or response for the same passage that I want them to complete during reading. If we are going to use the same passage for a few different tasks, I will have them glue it into their notebook.

Click here to read a blog post that shows how I used mentor texts and passages while teaching Comparing and Contrasting Story Elements.

Time Frame: 60 minutes

Materials Needed: Guided Reading Sets of Books, Copies of Magazines, Copies of Passages, Reading Centers

I have never taught with a basal or reading textbook. I have always taught reading through guided reading groups. My students are grouped into groups of 4-6 students each, based on their levels (as determined using Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarking). In the 60 minutes that I have, I am able to teach 3 very focused 20 minute groups. I usually have about 5-6 groups of students, depending on class size. I meet with my below grade level reading groups four days a week. My on-grade level and above-grade level groups meet with me 2-3 days a week.

When I meet with my guided reading groups, we read books, magazines, or passages depending on the strategy/skill we are focusing on. I follow these basic steps with each guided reading lesson:

1. Review previous day's reading or introduce a new book.

2. Go over 3-4 tricky vocabulary words.

3. Set a focus for today's reading. (This could be a specific question or a reading strategy that I want them to use in their reading in addition to their normal reading strategies.). I also assign the pages I want the students to read.

4. Check in each the students while they are reading and listen to them read. I also ask comprehension questions during this check-in. Click here to grab the form I use to record my notes from guided reading groups.

5. I try to time it so we end our assigned pages a few minutes before the group is finished to discuss the focus skill or strategy. Sometimes, I assign a writing task for them to complete and sometimes I assign more pages for the students to read before our next meeting.

That gives you the gist of what a guided reading group looks like. I plan to write a more detailed post about guided reading and what it looks like in my classroom in the next month or so, so keep an eye out for that post.

What do the other students do while I am teaching guided reading groups?

This varies from year to year depending on my students and their reading behaviors. To read more about what the other students do, check out this post with TEN reading center/station ideas that I have used in the past.

Time Frame: 10 minutes

Materials Needed: Any completed work that was assigned during the mini-lesson.

This part of my reading block is really important. When reading groups are over, we come back together as a class and discuss the skill that we learned during the mini-lesson and how the students were able to apply it to their own reading. We share our thoughts that the students wrote down based on my focus question - see mini lesson section with partners. Then I usually have a couple of student share their ideas with the class, if time allows. This part of the lesson helps them stay accountability and ensures they are applying the skill to their reading. If the students had some type of extension activity to complete (from as passage or read aloud), we also discuss it at this time and/or turn it in for me to check.

I do a lot of authentic assessment during reading mini-lessons and guided reading groups on the strategies and behaviors my students use or need work on. To assess the reading standards, I use reading exit slips.
Click here to read more about how I use exit slips during reading instruction and grab some free ones.
I prefer to use reading exit slips (versus long, formal assessments) because:

They are quick and don't take up as much instruction time.

They provide a good snapshot of how the student is doing with a specific skill.

I have two exit slips per skills so I can assess, continue teaching or re-teach, and then assess again.

I am very blessed to have 90 minutes dedicated just to reading, separate from my writing instruction and grammar/word study (which you can read about by clicking here). I have never had to teach with a huge restriction on my reading time. If I did, I would probably follow this sequence of instruction:

Note: These are suggestions based on a 45 minute reading block.

Monday: Teach a whole group lesson of that week's reading skill for about 20-30 minutes. I would then have the students complete independent practice of that skill for the rest of the time. While the students are doing independent practice, I would either monitor the whole class's progress or pull a small group of students who are struggling.

Tuesday-Wednesday: Pull two 20-minute small groups while the other students read or complete reading centers. I would also give the students a task that takes them about 10-15 minutes that reviews the week's skill. I would also review or incorporate the skill in my small group instruction. In the last five minutes of class, I would do a quick review of the skill by going over the task the students completed.

Thursday - Based on how the students are progressing with the skill, I would either continue the Tuesday-Wednesday sequence (if the class is doing well with the skill) or repeat the Monday sequence (if the class is struggling).

Friday - Assess the reading skill for 15-20 minutes. Pull a small group after the assessment to re-teach (I have the students turn in their assessments when they are finished so I can quickly glance at them and know who needs re-teaching). The other students would work on reading centers or literature circles while I re-teach.

Click here to read about some must-have reading professional developments book that I highly recommend for upper elementary reading teachers.

There you have it. That is a quick run-down of how I teach reading in 5th grade and some suggestions for those of you who do not have more time. Let me know what questions you have in the comments.

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How I Teach Reading in 5th Grade (Detailed Breakdown)

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Filed Under: Guided Reading, Reading Teaching reading in 5th grade is one of the best parts of teaching 5th grade. The standards and text level are more rigorous than in primary grades, but the students are much more independent. The books the students read are much more entertaining and interesting to read as a teacher.

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We are getting closer to Thanksgiving vacation.

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Instead of saying, "No, that isn't right", give a re-teach in that moment.

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Frida is teaching Natural Science, in an upper secondary school in Norway. At the moment she is presenting one of the six units in the curricula, Energy for the Future. The unit comprises six learning goals, and although some of the learning goals should be slightly familiar for the students from previous years as the theme has often been discussed in general, Frida would like to see what the students already know, and what they might misunderstand concerning this unit. In order to do so Frida would like to use a tool where the students have to distinguish between the different terms used in this unit. In addition to being an activity for the students, Frida would like to be informed in detail about the students' competence level. At this point she is not interested in the students' achievements, but in their understanding, general competence gaps, and specific misconceptions in order to know what to focus on in the next learning activity. Being able to study the results, in a quick way where results are visualised student by student and at class level, would help her provide formative feedback and scaffold single student and the group.

NEXT-TELL offers two tools, which used in combination with an associated, can support her needs. First, Next-TELL's web-based Repertory Grid for Formative Assessment (RGFA) tool for eliciting personal constructs of learners about elements belonging to the topic of study; second the OLMlets tool for identifying individual students' misconceptions; and third, the Next-TELL Open Learner Model (OLM) that visualises learner progress towards various competence goals.

To prepare the RGFA tool for the students, Frida identifies important elements (concepts, pictures of concepts, or videos) from the unit grouping them in various triads. Using RGFA the students select one element from each triad, and explain why this element is chosen and why it differs from the other two. While there is not necessary a correct answer, the student's explanations give Frida an overview of her students' choices and the reason why, giving her insight into their knowledge level for the unit.

From RGFA Frida retrieves a detailed summary on the students' answers. For example, Frida could identify that Jon, one of her students, has difficulties in understanding the differences in solar traps and solar cells. Using this information Frida then makes questions tailored to identify this specific misconception and uses the OLMlets tool to develop a quiz that students can use to identify their own misconceptions. For each question she adds to OLMlets Frida can identify the correct answer, a wrong answer, and specific misconception(s). For each misconception Frida defines a related feedback that tells the student that it is suspected that they have this misconception. After taking the quiz the answers are visualised for the students, helping them identify specific areas where they need further work. Frida can easily identify which students had which misconception and she is able to tailor her teaching to deal with the misconceptions.

As the students answer the questions using the OLMlets tool, the Open Learning Model (OLM) is building/updating a competence model based on their answers. The students and Frida are able to log into the OLM in order to see their competence models. As part of her preparations for the unit Frida has prepared the OLM by identifying six different competence goals that are addressed in the Energy for the Future unit. She also has defined a number of learning activities for the unit, one of which is the OLMlets, which will feed evidence towards the different competences as the student carry out the activities. As they complete the activities, the student can log onto the OLM and see a visualised model of their learning, and how their different competences are developing. The visualisation gives the student information regarding which competences they need to work on and gives Frida the ability to identify which competences individuals or different clusters in the class are striving with. This enables her to design her teaching or further learning activities for clusters or for individual students (e.g., she can place the students in different groups in order for them to focus on the goals with which they may have problems).

Related NEXT-TELL tools:

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Frida is teaching Natural Science, in an upper secondary school in Norway. At the moment she is presenting one of the six units in the curricula, Energy for the Future.

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Rhyming words

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Differentiation of instruction

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While you are in small groups

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If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around.-Jim Rohn

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If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around.-Jim Rohn

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While in small groups

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NCTE - National Council of Teachers of English

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Chunking helps students approach challenging texts by breaking down content into manageable pieces.

English & Language Arts

History

Social Studies

Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.

- Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY

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Chunking helps students approach challenging texts by breaking down content into manageable pieces.

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It's called lots of different things: Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), Sustained Silent Reading (SSR), and Million Minutes to name a few. Regardless of the different names, the intent is the same - to develop fluent readers by providing time during the school day for students to select a book and read quietly.

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The Teacher Appreciation Song (FREE DOWNLOAD!)

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Graphic Organizers

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My 10-year-old has several learning and processing disabilities but his greatest learning strength is that he is an incredible visual learner. When my son can see and organize information, his ability to learn and comprehend it increases significantly.

I am sure that you know kids like my son, Colin, and we have all taught students like him. Using many modalities, especially visualization has been linked to greater learning and reading comprehension.

Graphic organizers are important and effective pedagogical tools for organizing content and ideas and facilitating learners' comprehension of newly acquired information. Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences posits that students are better able to learn and internalize information when more than one learning modality is employed in an instructional strategy. Since graphic organizers present material through the visual and spatial modalities (and reinforce what is taught in the classroom), the use of graphic organizers helps students internalize what they are learning.

For today's classroom, nothing is more essential to successful teaching and learning than strategy-based instruction. It is through the use of specific teaching strategies and learning tools that students can be more successful learners. Graphic organizers are teaching and learning tools; when they're integrated into classroom experiences, students are better able to understand new material. Creating a strong visual picture, graphic organizers support students by enabling them to literally see connections and relationships between facts, information, and terms.

Reaching All Learners with Graphic Organizers

By integrating text and visual imagery, the graphic organizers actively engage a wide variety of learners, including students with special needs and English language learners. Graphic organizers can be used for any subject matter and are easily integrated into course curriculum.

We know from learning theory that the human mind naturally organizes and stores information. Our minds create structures to store newly acquired information and connect it to previous knowledge. The graphic organizers are visualizations of these mental storage systems, and serve to support students in remembering and connecting information. When students are able to remember and assimilate information, they can delve into more critical thinking.

Numerous studies have found graphic organizers to be effective for teaching and learning, and many support the effectiveness of graphic organizers for gifted children and students with special needs. Textbook publishers have taken note of the research that supports the importance of graphic organizers for teaching and learning, and regularly feature them in textbooks.

Since graphic organizers are widely successful, these learning tools are used at all grade levels. Commonly used in the k-12 th grades, they are also effective for adult learners. Community colleges and corporate entities use graphic organizers to present information in similar instructive contexts. Often, you will see college level textbooks and corporate instructional materials use graphic organizers. The visually stimulating nature of graphic organizers draws the learner's attention. As learners, we attend to what is novel and visually intriguing because the brain is more equipped to process images rather than text. Since graphic organizers integrate text and visual images, learners are having more whole-brain experiences.

Here are two videos that further discuss the importance of graphic organizers in learning.

You can also check out Dr. Katherine McKnight's books, Teacher's Big Book of Graphic Organizers: 100 Reproducible Organizers that Help Kids with Reading, Writing and the Content Areas (2010, Jossey-Bass).
Share your graphic organizer tips and resources in the comments section!

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Use Graphic Organizers for Effective Learning

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My 10-year-old has several learning and processing disabilities but his greatest learning strength is that he is an incredible visual learner. When my son can see and organize information, his ability to learn and comprehend it increases significantly. I am sure that you know kids like my son, Colin, and we have all taught students like him.

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"Key to using concept mapping well is to see it as an intermediate step to something else."  Have the students construct the graphic organizer themselves.  Have them use it at the beginning, middle, and the end of the story.
A great online tool is http://popplet.com/
(Fisher, 2016)

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These codes could be used while the student is reading.

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This could be used when making connections of two stories.

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Students could create this after they have read a passage.

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This is a reading strategy that students can use while reading the passage.