A Partnership of Two Continua: Interactive Read-Aloud + Word Study

By Lisa Patrick, Primary Trainer

 

            I am passionate about picturebooks. I read them to my college students, and I read them to my Kindergarten students. I read them to my teenage daughters, and I read them to my co-workers. Therefore, it won’t surprise the reader to learn that the section in my Continuum of Literacy Learning (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011), Interactive Read-Aloud and Literature Discussion, is the most dog-eared in the guide. Because I love reading aloud picturebooks, I am constantly seeking ways of integrating interactive read-aloud with each component of the literacy framework. For example, what better way to write about reading than to respond to a beloved picturebook read aloud by the teacher? But when it comes to partnering interactive read-aloud with word study, I wish to offer a few caveats.

            To begin with, I’d like to share a few criteria for selecting powerful interactive read aloud books. Diane DeFord (2001), in one of my favorite professional texts, Extending Our Reach: Teaching for Comprehension in Reading, Grades K-2, explains that the term “interactive” suggests “that during read-aloud there should be an intentional, ongoing invitation to students to actively respond and interact within the oral reading of a story” (p. 133, emphasis in original). Teachers are encouraged to select books for interactive read-aloud that have the potential to invite a high level of student engagement and to foster meaningful discussions (DeFord). However, not all picturebooks that support word study meet these selection criteria. Just because a picturebook portrays a word study concept does not automatically make it a high quality read-aloud choice. For example, the picturebook Night*Knight (Ziefert, 1997) has a fun lift-the-flap design for exploring common homonyms, but the text does not invite deep conversations about students’ thinking. On the other hand, Knight Night (Davey, 2012) is a story about a young knight who faces many obstacles as he gets ready for bed. While there are homonyms to explore for word study, the engaging bedtime story ensures that the text is well-suited to an interactive read-aloud experience.

           

Following, I present a number of picturebooks that I believe meet the above criteria for selecting an effective interactive read-aloud. I have organized the suggested titles according to the nine areas of learning found in the Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Continuum (Pinnell & Fountas, 2011). These are books that embody a rich partnership between interactive read-aloud and word study; the stories are interesting and engaging and the books offer opportunities for students to study words. While these texts tend to be more appropriate for students in the primary grades, many are suitable for intermediate classrooms. At the end of the nine areas of learning, I have also included suggested books for collecting and playing with words. It is my sincere hope that readers will discover a “love of books, new journeys beyond the limitations of personal experiences, and the beauty of language…through the pages of wonderful books” (DeFord, 2001, p. 137).

 

• In E-mergency! (Lichtenheld, 2011), the letter E has an accident. Chaos ensues as no words are allowed to use this vowel until she recovers. The letter “o” takes her place, creating confusion and hilarity. This book illustrates the difference between vowels and consonants.
• In Al Pha’s Bet (Rosenthal, 2011), Al Pha bets himself that he can succeed in putting the recently invented letters in order. In an ultimate play on words, the King rewards Al Pha for winning his bet by naming his creation after him. This book introduces the concept of letters written in a particular order in the alphabet.

 

• In Sparkle and Spin: A Book About Words (Rand & Rand, 1957), a husband and wife team introduce the concept and power of words to readers: what they are, what they’re used for, and how they work. This book provides a well-rounded and creative introduction to the concept of words.

If You Really Want Something...You'll Find Time For It

By David Hensinger, Primary Trainer
         

          Just the other day I was in a conversation with several Literacy Coaches.  Majority of the conversation surrounded one central concept – lack of time.  Each of the literacy coaches shared how they were being used in many different ways to complete district and state initiatives.  The conversation then led to the fact that now that they have all of this (extra) work, that they are far too busy to get in as much coaching as they would like, specifically with the more advanced teachers.  This conversation left me asking questions.  I was concerned that more advanced teachers might not be receiving the coaching they needed to continue to grow as educators.  So, immediately following this conversation I went in search of some possible solutions. 

 My inquiry led me into a text called Systems for Change in Literacy Education, written by Lyons and Pinnell (2001).  After a quick glance over the table of contents, I found a chapter that looked promising: “Supporting and Extending Learning.”  It was in chapter 13, where the authors touched on the importance of reaching out and supporting our advanced teachers. They offered five very practical solutions for supporting these advanced learners and engaging them in meaningful professional development built around their own inquiries (2001). 

The 2014 American Library Association’s Youth Media Award Winners

By Lisa Patrick, Primary Trainer

 

The 2014 American Library Association's Youth Media Awards were announced on Monday, January 27th. According to ALA's Press Center:

 

"Each year the American Library Association honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards, including the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media."

(http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/presskits/youthmediaawards/alayouthmediaawards)

 

 

Compiled by Lisa Patrick from the ALAnews announcement, in the order listed:

http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2014/01/american-library-association-announces-2014-youth-media-award-winners

 

 

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

 

Winner

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by K.G. Campbell

 

Honors

Doll Bones, by Holly Black

One Came Home, by Amy Timberlake

Paperboy, by Vince Vawter

The Year of Billy Miller, by Kevin Henkes

 

 

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

 

Winner

Locomotive by Brian Floca

 

Honors

Flora and the Flamingo by Molly Idle

Journey by Aaron Becker

Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner

 

 

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults:

 

Winner

P.S. Be Eleven, by Rita Williams-Garcia

 

Honors

Darius & Twig, by Walter Dean Myers

March: Book One, by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by Nate Powell

Words with Wings, by Nikki Grimes

 

 

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award: recognizing an African American illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

 

Winner

Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Daniel Beaty

 

Honor

Nelson Mandela, by Kadir Nelson 

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award:

 

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop, by Theodore Taylor III

 

 

Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:

 

Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

 

 

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

 

Winner

Midwinterblood, by Marcus Sedgwick

 

Honors

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Kingdom of Little Wounds, by Susann Cokal

Maggot Moon, by Sally Gardner, illustrated by Julian Crouch

Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool

 

 

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

 

Winner (ages 0-10)

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

 

Winner (ages 11-13)

Handbook for Dragon Slayers, by Merrie Haskell

 

Winner (ages 13-18)

Rose under Fire, by Elizabeth Wein

 

 

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

 

Brewster, by Mark Slouka

The Death of Bees, by Lisa O’Donnell

Golden Boy: A Novel, by Abigail Tarttelin

Help for the Haunted, by John Searles

Lexicon: A Novel, by Max Barry

Lives of Tao, by Wesley Chu

Mother, Mother: A Novel, by Koren Zailckas

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, by Lucy Knisley

The Sea of Tranquility: A Novel, by Katja Millay

The Universe Versus Alex Woods, by Gavin Extence

 

  

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video:

 

Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of Bink & Gollie: Two for One, are the Carnegie Medal winners. The video’s cast is anchored by Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome, with music by David Mansfield. Tony Fucile’s artwork is brilliantly brought to life by Chuck Gammage Animation.

 

 

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

 

Markus Zusak is the 2014 Edwards Award winner.

 

 

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site:

 

Brian Selznick will deliver the 2015 lecture.

 

 

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States:

 

Winner

Mister Orange, by Truus Matti, translated by Laura Watkinson

 

Honors

The Bathing Costume or the Worst Vacation of My Life, by Charlotte Moundlic, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick

My Father’s Arms Are a Boat, by Stein Erik Lunde, illustrated by Øyvind Torseter, translated by Kari Dickson

The War Within These Walls, by Aline Sax, illustrated by Caryl Strzelecki, translated by Laura Watkinson

 

 

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States: 

 

Winner

Scowler, by Daniel Kraus, narrated by Kirby Heyborne, produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Honors

Better Nate Than Ever, written and narrated by Tim Federle, produced by Simon and Schuster Audio

Creepy Carrots! written by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown, narrated by James Naughton, produced by Weston Woods Studios, Inc.

Eleanor & Park, written by Rainbow Rowell, narrated by Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra, produced by Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Matilda, written by Roald Dahl, narrated by Kate Winslet, produced by Penguin Audio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

Pura Belpré (Author) Award honoring a Latino writer whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

 

Winner

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, by Meg Medina

 

Honors

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba’s Greatest Abolitionist, by Margarita Engle

The Living, by Matt de la Peña

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale, by Duncan Tonatiuh

 

 

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino illustrator whose children's books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

 

Winner

Niño Wrestles the World, by Yuyi Morales

 

Honors

Maria Had a Little Llama / María Tenía una Llamita, by Angela Dominguez

Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale, by Duncan Tonatiuh

Tito Puente: Mambo King / Rey del Mambo, illustrated by Rafael López, written by Monica Brown

 

 

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

 

Winner

Parrots over Puerto Rico, by Susan L. Roth & Cindy Trumbore, illustrated by Susan L. Roth

 

Honors

Locomotive, by Brian Floca

Look Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard, by Annette LeBlanc Cate

The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius, by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan

A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin, by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

 

 

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

 

Winners

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Fat Angie, by e. E. Charlton-Trujillo

 

Honors

Better Nate Than Ever, by Tim Federle

Branded by the Pink Triangle, by Ken Setterington

Two Boys Kissing, by David Levithan

 

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers:

 

Winner

The Watermelon Seed, by Greg Pizzoli

 

Honors

Ball, by Mary Sullivan

A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems

Penny and Her Marble, by Kevin Henkes

 

 

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:        

 

Winner

Charm & Strange, by Stephanie Kuehn

 

Honors

Belle Epoque, by Elizabeth Ross

Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets, by Evan Roskos

In the Shadow of Blackbirds, by Cat Winters

Sex & Violence, by Carrie Mesrobian

 

 

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults: 

 

Winner

The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi, by Neal Bascomb

 

Honors

Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers, by Tanya Lee Stone

Go: A Kidd’s Guide to Graphic Design, by Chip Kidd

Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War II, by Martin W. Sandler

The President Has Been Shot! The Assassination of John F. Kennedy, by James L. Swanson 

 

 

Systems Thinking...Professional Learning Communities...The Principal's Role in Implementation of Literacy Collaborative

By Carla Steele, Primary Trainer

After receiving the April 2013 edition of Educational Leadership (The Principalship, Volume 70, No. 7), I found myself returning to the journal several times to think more deeply about principals and the vital role they play – in systems thinking, in professional learning communities – and how this can relate to successful implementation of Literacy Collaborative. This was of particular interest since Jason Hillman, an award-winning principal from Sheridan, Wyoming, came on board as our new director.

Jason is a nationally recognized expert in school improvement, school culture, and professional learning communities (PLCs).  He arrived at The Ohio State University to assume the position of Director of the Kinnear Literacy Project this past September. Among the many accolades Jason has received, the National Association of Elementary School Principals selected him as the National Distinguished Principal of Wyoming in 2011.  It was under his leadership that Sheridan’s Meadowlark Elementary was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2012.

Jason’s expertise and especially his work at Meadlowlark has encouraged our training team to think more deeply about the correlations between PLCs and the work we do in Literacy Collaborative. Within this, the vital role principals play in helping to create the culture necessary for any initiative to be successful - as well as systems thinking - have also been points of interest. 

The importance of systems thinking, or a systems approach, is not a stretch when it comes to Literacy Collaborative, as this is clearly evident within and throughout the elements of the framework and its design. As a comprehensive school reform project, Literacy Collaborative is a well-coordinated, cohesive system…a system defined by Lyons and Pinnell (2001) as “an arrangement of things so intimately connected that they form a unified whole…greater than the sum of its parts…with components working together in synergy, producing an effect greater than each could accomplish alone” (p. 44).

The goal of Literacy Collaborative is to incorporate elements of effective schools to improve literacy instruction and the reading, writing and language skills of elementary, intermediate, and middle school students in order to significantly raise the level of achievement for ALL children.

 This is accomplished through:

·         long-term professional development - the cornerstone of Literacy Collaborative;

·         school-based literacy coaches trained in research-based methods who receive ongoing professional development as they implement these practices in their own classrooms;

·         a research-based instructional model that is language-based, student-centered, process-oriented, and outcome-based;

·         long-term, site-based professional development for every member of a school’s literacy faculty;

·         assisting schools in monitoring the progress of every student through systematized assessment, data collection, and analysis; and

·         creating in-school and in-district leadership through the training and support of school-based literacy leadership teams, administrators, and literacy coaches.

 These bullet points could be easily correlated to a number of ideas presented in the articles from Educational Leadership that touched upon: how PLCs operate under a shared leadership philosophy; how collaborative professional development creates common ground; how understanding and nurturing the “human factor” is vital to improving schools and helping students succeed; how alignment of professional development and resources to a clear strategy, vision, mission, goal, and focus results in intentionality; how being responsive to student strengths and needs is about being responsive to student learning…not micro-managing instruction; and the importance of the principal’s role in fostering a climate conducive to success.

In discussing this with Jason, I asked if he would share some thoughts as to what has proven to be successful in his work…principal moves that helped him cultivate, nurture, and sustain PLCs…ones that could also help principals/buildings/PLCs in the successful implementation of Literacy Collaborative. His insights are as follows:

“In a shared leadership environment it is very important that staff view themselves as a team – with each staff member being asked to lead team meetings and share data and/or successful teaching strategies.  The principal should continuously lead staff in learning and discussing how and what it means to become a great team – such as staff taking responsibility for student learning and holding each other accountable through sharing data and creating shared goals.  At the opening of every year, the principal needs to ensure that staff development and resources are aligned to the school’s goal(s).  Motivational and team building activities should be intertwined within all training. 

The primary focus of all team meetings needs to be on student learning.  Minutes from each meeting, along with documents such as formative assessments and rubrics, should be turned in to the principal for review, and kept in a binder for easy reference by all.  This system allows the principal to monitor the implementation of policies and to support staff in their endeavor of meeting the expectations of the school community.

A school principal must also take a very active role in the education of all students. He/She is an instructional leader that must work with staff - being willing to team teach, model lessons, and be a visible learner to his/her staff.  The principal demonstrates a strong belief in learning for all by being a member of the team. A principal should be responsible for attending all of a team’s meetings - completing all assignments and learning projects of that particular team.  He/She should periodically attend other team meetings to offer support and guidance as well. It is important that the principal take a small group of students, on a daily basis, to provide instruction based on student need.  This instruction could consist of intervention on a skill students are struggling with, or enrichment on a skill they have mastered.

When operating under this leadership philosophy, schools have the potential to make tremendous gains in student learning.”

In describing the synergy that emerges from a systems approach, Lyons and Pinnell (2001) use the analogy of a symphony orchestra “where each component has a necessary role that must be well performed; all players have defined responsibilities and actions that must be fulfilled; and all sections must work together in harmony (literally as well as figuratively)” (p. 45). Depending upon the context or situation, the conductor’s role could be likened to that of a literacy coordinator/coach, a teacher empowered to facilitate work for the school’s PLC or, importantly, the building principal – “as it is the principal that is the most potent factor in determining school climate” (p. 191).

Principals may also consider the following suggestions, offered by Lyons and Pinnell (2001, p. 191), as they help to facilitate successful implementation of Literacy Collaborative in their buildings:

• create and work with leadership team to plan schedules to maximize learning time
• control classroom interruptions through policies about intercom use, scheduling of assemblies, etc.
• create and work with leadership team to plan schedules to maximize learning time
• make resources available for building a collection of professional materials
• designate a meeting place where teachers can keep materials and work together
• regularly evaluate the results of professional development, looking for evidence of learning on the part of teachers and indices of achievement on the part of students
• place a high value on teachers’ participation in ongoing professional development
• participate in staff development sessions along with teachers

Additional suggestion:
 

• participate in Literacy Collaborative Team Planning and Principal Academy sessions

 

 

 

References

ASCD (2013). The Principalship. Educational Leadership, Vol. 70, No. 7. 

Literacy Collaborative (2012). Literacy Collaborative [Brochure]. Columbus, OH:  The Ohio  

           State University. Retrieved from www.lcosu.org 

Lyons, C.A. & Pinnell, G.S. 2001. Systems For Change in Literacy Education: A Guide to
          Professional Development. Portsmouth: Heinemann.

 

 

 

Finding the Value in Writing

By Wendy Sheets
Intermediate/Middle School Trainer

During a recent week of training with our intermediate and middle school literacy coaches, we revisited writing drafts that had been created from seeds planted in writers’ notebooks. Through the process of exploring various aspects of writers’ craft through minilessons and conferring, the coaches had worked on revising their pieces, and were now coming together in small groups to share their work. As I moved among the coaches, my heart swelled with pride as I observed the transformation they had made from teachers to writers. One shared a compelling poem about the last day he had spent with his brother before his passing. Another stirred my emotions with images of her grandmother’s cooking and the cherished times they spent together in her childhood kitchen. As writers, it was obvious they were less tentative about sharing their work. They had learned from wonderful mentors how to consider aspects of craft, trying them out, and producing pieces of themselves to share with others.

Jane Hansen (1996) wrote about the importance of evaluation at the center of writing instruction. This use of the word “evaluation” is in reference to the root: value. As we consider the value within our own writing, we are forced to think about our audience and their reactions. Working with students is no different. They have stories to share too! As we enter into that sacred act of conferring with a young writer, always keeping in mind how fragile writers are, it seems sometimes he holds his breath as he waits to find out what value we find in his writing. When we do, it may come as a surprise because what we value may be different from what the writer valued, or what his peer valued. As a transaction (Rosenblatt, 1994) between the reader and the text, multiple meanings are possible. “The “meaning” does not reside ready-made ‘in’ the text or ‘in’ the reader but happens or comes into being during the transaction between reader and text” (p. 929).

Consider the context of Interactive Read-Aloud and the collective construction of meaning that develops as we look at a published piece of writing together. As we confer with young writers, or as they respond to one another, think about the growth that could occur when “evaluation” takes place on that level (Hansen, 1996). To optimize growth in our writers, we can help them identify what they do well and to set goals for what they plan to do to become better. As our students make choices about their goals, their topics, and the genre that best fits their topics and goals, they learn to use self-evaluation to continue a sense of forward momentum.

Supporting writers through minilessons and conferring, teaching them to value writing and set goals for improvement, and honoring the work they do will enrich our students’ agentive identities within a community of language and literacy learners.

References

Hansen, J. (1996). Evaluation: The Center of Writing Instruction. In Padak, et al. (Eds.) Distinguished
                educators on reading: Contributions that have shaped effective literacy instruction, 5 (3),

                545-553. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Rosenblatt, L.M. (1994). The Transactional Theory of Reading and Writing. In Rudell, R.B., Rudell,     

                M.R., & Singer, H. Theoretical models and processes of reading  (4^th ed., pp. 1057-1092).

                Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

100 Years, 100 Books: How Many Have You Read?

100 Years, 100 Books: How Many Have You Read?

By Pat Scharer, OSU Professor and Literacy Collaborative Trainer

The New York Public Library is celebrating the library’s acclaimed exhibition The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter which is now on view at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building with a new publication of 100 favorite books from the past 100 years. The list was selected by The New York Public Library’s Jeanne Lamb, Coordinator, Youth Collections, and Elizabeth Bird, Supervising Librarian. 

There are picture books, chapter books, folk tales, science fiction and books of all genres! This list is a great way to reflect on your own reading—how many have you read? The list is organized alphabetically by title with boxes for you to check. For those you haven’t yet read…it’s a great way to identify some new books for your reading list. Or, see how many are in your school library. Perhaps there are a few you’d like to add to the library’s acquisition list! How about sending the list to all the parents in your school in hopes they will enjoy reading some wonderful titles to their children? Or, each grade level can challenge the other classes to read as many as they can. Read with your colleagues to decide which grades are most suitable. Most of all, enjoy this wonderful list!

Go to http://www.nypl.org/childrens100 to get started.

Happy reading!