Chapter+3

**__Chapter Three: Units of Study in a Primary Reading Workshop__**

#1. Kathy relates the story of her school year. It has characters, a setting, a beginning and an ending. We know what we want the ending to be: having joyful, confident readers. Reflect on what you do to map out your "story" at the beginning of the year.

**Respond Here: ** Chapter 3 from Bobbi Friend #1 The story of my school year also began the last day of school in June. I have been teaching twelve years in third grade, and was recently given the exciting opportunity to take on reading in with sixth graders at the middle school. Most of the time when I tell people I am going to be teaching at the middle school next year, they look at me as if I am crazy. All I can say is that I am so excited!! I can’t wait to fire these kids up for reading! I spent the first week of the summer moving from one building to the other, and the second week I spent organizing my new room. I made countless trips to Goodwill for used pillows and pillow backs, bean bags, old shelves, and lots of baskets. My new Reader’s Workshop classroom is ready….now all I need to do is complete these online reading classes so I feel like I am an expert as I enter my classroom and try to get my love of reading to transfer to my students. I am creating an atmosphere where they will be surrounded by books and I want them to have choice and a voice in what our class does. I am going to plan units of study, but I want to be flexible with my mini-lessons so I can gear them based on my students and their needs. I am not going to do whole group reading, but I will do interactive read alouds to assist in my instruction when teaching certain strategies. My story ends, hopefully, with an entire class of reading students who beg for independent reading time in seventh grade.
 * : I also have my story started as Cara does as well as Bobbi! ** ** It starte d this summer with taking this class as well as the class Reading for Real. I am also tutoring and teaching summer school. I am practicing what I am learning and the changes that I want to make in my thinking and teaching with the kids that am working with right now. I look at the end of my story first and of course, I am the main character. I am also the driving force behind the plot and what we will happen at the end. I plan from the end goals and see the vision for the end, then I look at how am I going to get there. Then, of course when I meet the kids and assess them and gage their needs, I can proceed forward with the plot of my plans, so to speak. Stephanie **

// Like Margaret, my story has already started with the ending of this previous schoolyear. As I began to close out the school year, I already started for the next. I have had the pleasure ofhaving the same classroom for the past 14 years; there's a lot of dust andtreasures to be found in the room. However, I feel I'm ready for a major over hall. This year I decided to revamp many of the charts and posters that I had up in the classroom. I'd like tof ocus more on creating charts that reflect what Non-Fiction readers do and their habits. These posters will reflect what we learned at the Home Grown Institute,which I attended a couple of weeks ago. I really learned a lot from them and will continue to follow their practice of the Units of Study. I especially liked the idea of creating Information Books, as a way to compile all the students’ researchinto one final product. Therefore, my plans for my "story" include revamping all my classroom wall decor and to implement the Non-Fiction Unit ofStudy from the teacher's college. // // Cara1212 //

**Planning my story has started. I'm not at the beach overhearing conversations, I'm the "Mobile Reading Lady". This summer I'm developing a Home to School Relationship by visiting my students at home. I arrive with a bag of books and popscicles. I will be visiting every two weeks. We are buiding a relationship that will carry into my classroom in September. Because of the summer journey, I'll be meeting with my team to share my vision for the 2011-12 school year. I really like "Units of Study Across the School Year" pg. 46. My story is like a house, build on a firm foundation, use great material, proper tools and inspect often(reflect). I want my readers to enjoy their home as we journey through the months.** **Margaret Fox﻿**

I feel like I have a lot in common with all of the people who posted the wikis before me. One school year ends and the next begins in June for me too. I don’t know the names of my students for the coming year yet but I definitely am planning for them throughout the summer months. I always make changes to my classroom some physical and some in regards to my teaching and what better time than the summer months when I can take time and think about the past and plan for the future. I am scouring book sales, yard sales, and Goodwill for more nonfiction books to add to my library. I have ordered more baskets and bookshelves so I can have more books assessable to the kids. I have planned my daily schedule to do a better job at fitting in all of the components of reader’s workshop. –Jodee Tuttle

I am already thinking and planning for the new school year. I have worked with a number of my students last year, so will be able to continue the journey with them this year. Reflecting on the Home-Grown Institute and the readings, revising my classroom library is a top-priority for the beginning of the year. Currently, my library is neat and tidy on a shelf, and hard to access for my students. I want to do a better job of sorting my books and grouping them by authors and topics so students are better able to find the books they want to read as well as making the area more inviting for students to linger in. Currently my school is under-going construction, so I am excited to unpack everything and rearrange my library to make it more student friendly. Margaret- I love your plan of visting your students this summer. What a powerful way to start the new year!

Sue Ronning

I am like many of you - attending workshops (Words Their Way, LLI, and book clubs) as well as teaching school and tutoring. I feel the school year never ends. I am not bragging or complaining that is just how I like it. Margaret - I typically visit my students before the school year starts. I love the fact you spend the summer with your students! What a commitment and a great way to build your community.

Fran Olesen

//** Kristy Weberg **// I am planning on using the tool of vision boards to get clear with how I want the beginning of my school to look, sound, and feel. Vision boards are basically a physical representation of your hopes and dream of what you want to be, do, and have in life. It typically looks like a collage of words and pictures, often cut from magazines but also created from other graphics (such as on-line images). I’m a very right-brained person who is drawn to visuals. This creative expression is my map. It reminds me of what I want and keeps me focused and motivated to achieve it. During the celebration at the end of the reading workshop class I took at the ISD this year, I shared some positive affirmations that I will add to my vision board. I had statements such as, “My students find joy in reading!” and “I am organized and prepared.” These statements, and others, will remind me to stay positive especially on those especially-challenging days! My vision board will be in a space that I can refer to often (probably hanging above my computer). I’ve also conducted this lesson with my students in the past where they’ve created their own boards. I’m thinking that we can create one together at the beginning of the year to show how we want our classroom to look, sound, feel (like a class contract). Sara Sabourin
 * My reading story for the upcoming school year starts in the summer for me as well. For the past 3 summers I have been a part of trainings and read several books that really help to shape my reading instruction for the upcoming school year. Three summers ago I read "Reading Essentials" by Regie Routman. I didn't know about Reading Workshop at the time, but this book really helped to get me thinking outside of the Reading First box and start imagining how classrooms could be shaped differently from how all those I knew were doing it. Then for the past 2 summers I have been part of the Home Grown institute and been reading most of the Reading Workshop books, which has continued to shape my thinking. But beyond summer, in the first few weeks of school I really do a lot of talking with my kids about how much reading they will do during this school year and how much they will love it. Read Alouds seem really important at this time because its when I show kids how much I love the books we are reading and how special I think they are. Then after doing this for awhile, I start to see kids picking up books and looking at them the same way, like they are special. Of course I have to model and practice all the procedures of independent reading as well, but its all about developing the love for reading at the beginning. **

So often we think of mapping our work for the year after our professional development and our professional reading. Sara, I think your idea of having a vision board and sharing it with your students along with having them create a vision board really sets the tone for your year and begins to build that learning community. Also sending that message right away to your students about how you value reading is so important. .....Linda

All summer through these 5 book studies I have been pondering my upcoming school year. I have the great joy and time 2010-2011 to have had a wonderful 2nd grade class. I tried many of the ideas. Have better read and studied theses texts I now see others things I could do and things that where going well. With that as a back drop, I ponder how to assist my K-5 teachers in Literacy as the District Lit Coach. Some have years of experience and are master ELA teacher and some are new to the teaching of ELA. So my map, my beginning is to look at how to help the most and where the help is really needed. KDN

My beginning is crazy. I am making sure I have my books leveled and organized. I am also making notes on what genres I need more books for as well as what levels I am lacking books in. I am also putting together a conferring folder. I know this will be an ever changing tool, but I need a place to start. The most troublesome part of my beginning is how to teach RW and the basal at the same time. I have some ideas, but it's going to be tough. TGaribay

#2. On page 45, Kathy imagines her teaching as a tour bus. You keep moving, spending lots of enery, but your teaching may be forgettable. Comment on this.

**Respond Here:**

Wow! I love what everyone has said so far! It is unfortunately very true. We can teach up a storm and rocket from heer to there, to there to here. We run as fast as we can trying to meet everyone's needs and reteach, but yet move others along ..................... We are busy jumping through hoops to please and meet our school improvement goals and make adequate yearly progress, meap testing is a high ranking priority with our administration and all the while the bus is moving.................................... unfortunately, some kids got off at a stop and some never jumped on and all the while I just kept on driving................. Stephanie // So often we hear each othercommenting on the summer learning curve that most of our students make...Youknow the one in which they seem to forget everything that they've learned thepast year! Unfortunately, this is true that some outside the education world,to imagine. It is an actual proven fact that this does happen. If I had a magicwand, I would make our school year last longer; I would extend the days"on" of school and make our vacations less. Therefore, the students wouldn'thave that time lapse in which to not use what they've learned. I know that thiswould be unspeakable and unattainable in reality but maybe a charter schoolmight entertain the idea of longer school days. In terms of Kathy's metaphor ofa tour bus, I can totally understand her thinking...Everyday seems like a ridewith many stops, sometimes forgetting the stop we have traveled thus far.Unfortunately, her thinking is true and we have little power over the situation. // // Cara1212﻿ // **﻿** **This is so true. Children need time to listen, discuss and go back to see what else is there. The connections are so important. The frame work of Reading Workshop is so important. She is right on the mark about the "frenzy" of jumping from here to there. I know you have heard, "I taught that yesterday, and they don't know it today!"** **I need time to savor during my learning. I also need to give my children the same opportunity. I got my tools, I'm getting off the bus, I'm ready to explore.** **Margaret Fox﻿**

This tour bus idea creates a great visual for me. I imagine myself at the wheel with a bus full of eager children behind me and I just keep driving and showing points of interest maybe without much intentionality. I am probably zig-zagging all around and I probably could not recreate the “trip” next year. My reader’s workshop mini-lessons will be my GPS and keep me on my route. Then after a successful school year I would be able to adjust the “route” where needed and recreate the trip. The author says, “We keep moving, and we expend lots of energy, but over time our teaching may be forgettable.” Sad, but true! I could really relate to Bobbi’s comment about being so focused on the destination that we miss other points along the way. Hopefully, with better planning on my part and by incorporating more time for class conversations which will illicit higher level thinking my students will stay on the bus for their lifetime! --Jodee Tuttle

Chapter 3 from Bobbi Friend #2 It is interesting that you asked us to comment on this point, because that entire paragraph was highlighted in my book! That is one thing that I think even the best teachers tend to do. We get so caught up in the details of teaching, the nitty gritty little bitty points of interest, that we forget the big picture. While the tour bus is pointing out the marker for the 100 year old farm and everyone focuses on reading the information on the sign, they forget to look at the gorgeous rolling hills, the pond, and the animals grazing in the background. I want my teaching to be purposeful and meaningful, not haphazard and unrelated. I am very careful in my planning and instruction to carefully integrate academic areas so that learning can be connected to itself and, more importantly, to the outside world. In taking on reader’s workshop, I need to be cautious not to get hung up on tiny skills, but rather focus on big strategies that can be applied to all reading and learning.

//** Kristy Weberg **//
 * At the bottom of page 45 she says "in my valiant effort to each it all, I felt as if I wasn't teaching anything in a way that made a lasting impression on the children." I have felt this same way many times because there is just so much we are responsible to teach! Not only all the things required of us in our district's curriculum and by the state outside of reading instruction, even within reading there is so much to do in the course of a day, week, or unit. In trying to do all this, the only thing I've found to help me get through it is strong planning and using all the time in a day to the fullest. I can't let moments slip away doing non-essential things because there are too many essential things to do. And if I don't plan well, I won't be using all the time in the wisest way possible. I may think "oh, it seems like a good idea to do _ today", but if I haven't planned that day within the whole scope of a unit, then the time is probably not used in the best way possible. When I plan things well, I don't feel like I'm just teaching all this stuff, and it's not doing anything for the kids. I know what I'm trying to accomplish with my time, and good planning helps me reach that goal. **

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I highlighted this paragraph and wrote "love this analogy.' I continue " when I felt I needed to teach it all, but I did not see the connection how in the hell would my students??" <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fran Olesen

I too paused at this point on page 45 and I appreciate all the honest and humble comments from all of you. I was thinking about a Duck Tour bus trip I took in Boston about three years ago. There were only about 10 passengers, five of which were from our group. What made this trip unforgettable was that the driver, noticing the smaller group, changed his approach to the tour. He came back and asked us some questions and what we were hoping to get out of the 2 hour trip. From our responses he decided on an alternate route to make the trip more personal and relevant. He made a special trip to Harvard square because one passenger said his grandfather graduated from Harvard. As I reflect back to that tour I’m remindedthat when I direct and try to plan out my school year I have to remember to involve the children as much as possible. In the summer, before I get to know my new students, I can scope out my school year with the best of them. I have to admit that I’ve gone so far as to plan out my entire year during the summer but that has never been the best approach for me. The students’ needs and interests should help dictate and direct my course and content as long as I make sure I cover the standards. This makes the learning more relevant and personal. Garth About two years ago my teaching staff sat down at the end of the school year and talked about curriculum. We picked one subject and picked it apart. We were able to talk about somponents that we had covered well and those that was hit or miss, we talked about pieces that we could combine between one grade level and another and those pieces that we could unlimately switch around between grade levels. Some of us felt like we were trying to cover EVERYTHING and in the meantime we had lost the students as well as ourselves. Even though the last thing we wanted to do after a very long school year, it was a good time to sit and think about things that we could change and do differently the following school year. We were able to see some connection ourselves and have time to reflect and think about it. Jill Baker -- <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">#3. In this chapter, Kathy suggests **her** units of study, She points out that "teaching is always a personal work in progress that changes and <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">grows with our experiences, our knowledge and the standards to which we are held accountable." Share your thoughts about this chapter. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">What points did **you** highlight?

I highlighted several sections in this chapter. The main point was focused in the library and how important it is to have the kids help in taking care of it. I highlighted lots of her suggestions for mini lessons on this with the kids and I also focused on the schedule of the independent reading workshop. I started practicing it in summer school. We have private reading time where they can read what book they want and independent time, where they read at their level, and partner time where they read and talk with a partner about a book that they are reading at their level. I am doing small groups of 3 while others are working on private reading. Of course, this is SO UNREALISTIC as I have only 6 kids in summer school!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stephanie <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**Respond Here:** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">// I really enjoyed reading this chapter because it wa so staight forward in its thinking. I probably payed more attention to the lay out of a typical day in the Independent Workshop; it always seems nice to see what someone elses schedule may include. I also enjoyed the section on the classroom library, like Margaret. The library seems to be the base of the whole program, even though it doesn't state so. It's almost a given that the library is there, set up and ready to use. This is a major overhaul of a book system for those whose library isn't set up so. Her suggestions of a yearly schedule or Units of Study appear to be "do able" and are a great way to start. Being a teacher of older elementary students I may have to tweek sonme of the unit depending upon what the students enter with. But for the most part, I would be able to follow her suggestions. // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">// Cara1212﻿ //

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**﻿****As I read this chapter I was thinking about my years of teaching. This chapter has given me a map. I will get to my destination using the plan. It will have detours, but these are necessary if I want my students to become strong readers. I rereading "Setting the Tone". I also was thinking about "What does my Library look like?" This chapter has me on a journey to develop the whole picture, the to break it down into monthly lessons. ** Margaret Fox

I think of teaching as a shared journey between myself and my students. Just because I teach something, doesn’t mean they have learned it. I find the balancing of state and district goals, student needs, daily interruptions, and all the “stuff” that makes up a school day pieces of the puzzle to put together so that my students are able to learn all they are able to. One point I highlighted was that students read at their level everyday. In a resource room, it is easy to fall into the practice of teaching isolated skills and never giving my students the time to practice those skills in the real activity of reading a book. That will me one of my goals for myself this year is to ensure all of my groups have time to read real books at their level each day. Sue Ronning

I agree with Cara in that I find it helpful to know how others make it work and to see what units of study they are using. While each of us puts our own spin on lessons and units, there is no need to reinvent the wheel if there is something out there that is proven to work well. The section about bends in the road made a lot of sense to me. My goal is that by remembering there are bends in the road for each unit that I will do a better job of making my lessons flow from one day to the next.Stephanie Cooper

<span style="color: #800080; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Some of my notes and highlightsIt would be great if all the content area we teach were in units.These are models not mandatesThank you for the Units of Study Across the School YearBackward Planning - UBDCollaboration is essentialChoice for something is a choice against somethingGoals - Remember - What you want student to be able to do, standards, unit of study, knowledge of our class of students, reading processTeach to both end - minilesson that reach all studentsAdaptFran Olesen

//** Kristy Weberg **//
 * As others stated, this chapter did give a lot of good information on the basics of doing units of study in reading. It was good to read the units laid out by the author, although like Cara, because I teach upper elementary students, I would change these in various ways. A question I had was would the author probably do a non-fiction unit during her unit called "readers pursue their interests in books and other texts"? Other sections of this chapter that stood out to me were: **
 * 1. Brainstorming Teaching Ideas - I've found this past year that I really need to do this before, during, and after each unit because I'm always thinking of things that I want to remember for next time I teach the unit. **
 * 2. Bends in the Road - reading this section made me realize that there are bends that happen as we go through a unit, but that I need to be more conscious of them, and point out to kids where our learning is changing a bit. This would make things more explicit for kids. **
 * 3. Setting the Tones and the Bottom Lines - it was good to read what the author did as the teaches her beginning unit each year. It seems important, especially at the beginning, to be very clear about the bottom lines of the unit we are about to start, because those are the things that will make sure kids are really learning. **

I loved the Setting the Tone and the Bottom Lines section of this chapter. Thinking back to last year I wonder if I focused enough time and effort on this very important part of RW. I also appreciate Kathy Collins putting in her “Bends in the Road”. These are very real and practical ways our teaching my get side tracked during each Unit. She has a good way of explaining the goals and bends of each Unit in a “teacher friendly” way. Garth In this chapter I liked the outline with the units of study and what teaching topics she covers in each unit. Seeing this at a glance was helpful because of how it was laid out. Knowing this outline you will need to tailor it to your own classroom and grade level. I also loved her four habits that are essential for reading work together. These were listed to the point in a way that children can understand. It is so important for children to realize that they need to read every day, they need to talk and think about the books they read with other people, to instill the love of reading everything in sight and taking good care of the books in our classroom and in our lives outside the classroom. Jill

I like how someone raised that they had 6 students in summer school and it was some what unrealistic. I find to start things sometimes and grow—I will start with a small group of students and try it. This is how I improve—start small, maybe try another group and tweak it on the way. To hold myself accountable I use my clipboards with my conferences, rubrics whether teacher or student scored to try to keep me on track. KDN --- <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">#4. As you being to plan for September, you must take into consideration your goals, what your bends in the road will be, what you will need, <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">etc. Comment on this huge task. Share any tips you may have.

I must start out by saying that I DO NOT have my books for the summer home, but I SHOULD HAVE! Stephanie, Cara and Margaret are way ahead of the game compared to me! A huge bend in the road will be trying to sort through books this fall as I will take a chuck home at a time and re-sort them into new groupings as well as clean up the current groupings. I personally feel that a HUGE bend in the road for me is to integrate the indep. reading workshop with the BASAL that I HAVE to teach! I am not sure how I can blend when there are so many testing requirements that I must adhere to in my district. I am also looking for some good tips for leveling books and I am going to check out the sites that Stephanie mentioned below! Stephanie gaunt <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**Respond Here:** // My greatest task this summer is doing an overhaul of myclassroom library, if you'd like to call it as such! I am beginning a majorundertaking as we speak of labeling all my books over the summer months. As Ihauled all my library books home in June, I really didn't realize a couple ofthings. I didn't know exactly how many books I actually owned. I do complainabout not having enough books in my library, but in fact I think I have morethan the average teacher. I no longer will complain about not having enoughbooks. I do realize however, that my stash of non-fiction texts is lower thanthat of fiction books, probably a comment most teachers would make. Probablythe tip I have for acquiring so many books would be to "shop" atthrift stores, yard sales, and book blubs. I've been very successful at yardsales for books. Usually, the seller will give you a deal to take all theirchildren's books off their hands! // // Cara1212﻿ // <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**﻿** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**My living room looks like a lawyer preparing for a big trial. As I look at my Units of Study for September I am thinking about my team and my new charges. I want my team on my bus but I want them to get off too. Matching the local and state expectations in the order of "assessments" is important but I want to enjoy my students joy of becoming "strong readers". I want to take my time, also to assure my team it's OK to slow down and give our students a chance to digest this Reading Workshop. This framework can be used across the curriculum, therefore you are not reinventing.** <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**Margaret Fox**

Like Cara, I have all of my books home from the summer due to a change in buildings. My major goal is to sort books into favorite authors, types of non-fiction, and label them using the great labels I’ve found on the Newingham and Meachum websites. Having books labels using those stickers will make it easy for even my first grade students to find and return books that most appeal to their reading tastes. While I am labeling and sorting, I am also undertaking the massive task of cataloging each book I have. This will allow me to avoid purchasing three copies of the same book, see what areas I need to beef up my collection, and guide students to books at their level based on their interest. This is a major task, but I believe I will get great satisfaction at its completion. Stephanie Cooper

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A group of Black River teachers attended the Common Core workshop. During that time we brainstormed reading and writing pacing guides for K-6. This was a huge task, but well worth the time. Fran Olesen

All of the elementary teachers inthe district will be implementing the RW approach with new scope and sequencedocuments including Units of Study. A huge challenge and bend in the road willbe to collaborate well with other first grade teachers to see how it is goingand to adjust our teaching. I look forward to the collaboration but I hope mydistrict can give us appropriate time to do so adequately. Another Bend in theRoad for me this summer is my classroom library. I feel like I try so many waysto set up my classroom library each year and I’m still not set on the best way. Garth

I want to better communicate with families about our upcoming units in reading so that they know what we are working on and how to support their child. That means I need to be more organized and prepared with what I’m going to teach and when. I like the planning chart that Collins explains in this chapter. It will better help me visualize how I want work to go. Having this goal will hold me accountable to making sure I’m following the units and teaching what needs to be taught, rather than go off-course or approach teaching reading like a “to-do” list, as Collins refers to her previous style of teaching on page 45. Though like Margaret, I want to slow down and enjoy my students delight as they become strong readers. Also, like Collins, I want to hold reading celebrations at the end of a reading unit (page 57). I like her idea of setting a date so that it keeps her “teaching moving.” It sounds like another great way to stay focused! I’m looking forward to planning with a colleague(s) this summer. Like Garth, I hope to have more time within our building and district to plan with other teachers. Sara Sabourin

I had an idea of what I was going to type then totally changed it after reading Sara's post. Parent communication. I have always thought that I communicated well with parents. I sent home weekly newsletters. I had a blog and classroom FB page. I sent home assessments I had done with students. Then last year our school sent home a parents survey. Some of the questions asked parents if they felt like they knew what I had done in reading that school year. I did not get the kind of response that I wanted. I want this year to be different, it has to be. I want parents to understand why reading at home with their child is one of the best things they can do in their child's life. I want them to know what level their child is reading at and understand what that means. I am hoping I can do a much better job this year so my students can grow leaps and bounds with the support of their parents. TGaribay