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Teaching with Intentionality

Ideas and Resources for Purposeful Teaching

Read Alouds, Reader's Workshop, Reading Comprehension & Strategies

Launching Reader’s Workshop

July 13, 2017

Every teacher loves a great back-to-school read aloud.  There are so many popular titles to use as springboards for first day experiences, engaging students in making new friends, or getting back into the swing of school routines.  But what about a read aloud for introducing reader’s–workshop?

I have found the perfect story that will not only set the tone for your reading instruction but also foster a growth mindset toward reading we’d all like to instill in our students.  This book has been powerful in launching my readers’–workshop when used with the following activities.

Wolf! The perfect read aloud.Wolf!, by Becky Bloom, is a story of a wolf who comes across some barnyard animals who can read.  In the story, the wolf is determined to learn to read, but he has a lot of misconceptions about what makes a good reader when trying to impress his friends.  This is the perfect storyline to get students focused on what good readers do, and to help dispel any misconceptions they may have about what a good reader is.

Introducing the Story

Before introducing the story, I have my students do a brainstorming activity.  On a Post-It, I ask students to write what they think makes a good reader.  After a few minutes of think and jot time, I have students share their ideas as I record them on a chart paper.  As you can see from the anchor chart, students said many different things about what they do. You can also see some misconceptions students shared, but when recording their responses, I don’t comment on any of them.  I simply take note of their ideas and tell students we will revisit this list later.

Next, students go to the carpet for the read aloud.  I preplan the occasional turn-and-talk during the story to get the students thinking about what Wolf thinks a good reader is, as well as what the barnyard animals think.  Later in the story, I also ask students to evaluate those points of view based on students’ own perspective about what makes a good reader.  Wolf’s perception changes in response to the animals’ comments each time he goes back to the farm to read to them, so of course, I also ask students to think about how his point of view changed.

What Good Readers Do

After the read aloud, we revisit the list we created on the chart.  I have students consider Wolf’s experience in the story and talk in table groups for a few minutes to discuss whether they agree or disagree with the various ideas on the chart.  Then, I ask students to share their thinking in a class discussion and have them explain why they think the idea is important, or why they might disagree with an idea.

Launching Reader's Workshop Anchor ChartTwo things happen at this point in the lesson.  One, students review good strategies and reiterate why they are important, and two, the misconceptions get dispelled.  Dispelling these misconceptions transforms students’ way of thinking about reading and about themselves as readers, just as it did for Wolf in the story.  Students need to have the mindset that a good reader is defined by what they do each and every day (strategies & good reading habits), not by their performance with regard to reading level, the thickness of their chapter book, or the speed at which they read.  Yes, we want our students to move in the right direction with text complexity and fluency, but for this lesson, I want to foster growth mindset in my students.  Notice, I crossed out those misconceptions as we talked about them.

A perfect story for readers.I want to point out that students usually leave one important idea off this list, which needs to be added.  This is why I turn to the last part of the story and reread where Wolf gets caught up in the stories with the other animals.  I want students to come to the conclusion that good readers also enjoy reading, and rereading this part of the story prompts them to add this.  If students have already included this on the list, I would star it to remind students that our attitude toward reading is just as important as the strategies we use.

Reading workshop strategies.The next activity lays the foundation for the purpose of our reader’s–workshop: to grow as readers.  Students are given an interactive notebook template which becomes one of the very first entries in their reader’s notebook.  During this activity, we brainstorm various strategies that have helped them with their accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

I teach third grade, so my students come to me with a variety of strategies they have learned and continue to use.  Together, we create these lists of strategies and write them under the appropriate flaps in their readers’ notebooks.  I find it easier to take one component at a time. i.e. We begin with accuracy and then move on to fluency, etc.  (Note: the objective isn’t to list ALL the strategies, but to list main ones students use that are helpful to them.  At the end of the lesson, I share with students that we will be adding strategies throughout the year as new ones are introduced during reader’s–workshop.)

You can download this complete lesson in its entirety by subscribing to my free resource library.

Setting Reading Goals for Reader’s Workshop

Reader's Workshop StrategiesTo wrap up this activity, I begin to talk about how every reader has different strengths and weaknesses, and that during reader’s– workshop, we will be exploring our own strengths and weaknesses so that we can set goals to help us grow as readers.  I explain that everyone will have different goals based on where they are and what will help them.  I also explain these goals change, just as Wolf adjusted his goals throughout his journey in becoming a reader.

Not only has this anchor lesson been powerful in helping my students understand the purpose of reader’s–workshop and to foster students’ growth mindset, but it has also set the stage for next steps: reflecting about themselves as readers and setting goals.

(See my blog post about setting specific reading goals students can understand and manage.)

I hope you will take a moment to read this wonderful story and find a way to incorporate it into launching your reader’s–workshop.  If you are interested in more seed lessons for launching reading strategies, click the resource cover below.

 Seed Lessons for Growing Thoughtful Readers
If you are looking for increased engagement during read aloud time, please see this comprehensive read aloud resource to make planning and learning so much easier when teaching literature standards!
Happy Teaching!
by laine 
Read Alouds, RL3.6, Teaching Point of View and Perspective

Teaching Point of View

February 9, 2016

When we think about teaching point of view, we immediately think of 1st person or 3rd person.  But this is only the beginning of the journey for our students.  Point of view (or Literacy CCRA.R.6) can be a difficult standard to teach.  In second grade, students are expected to use different voices for the different characters in a text.  At a glance, this doesn’t seem very difficult.  But when we take a closer look, there’s a lot more involved.

This point of view standard requires students to analyze the character before determining how their voice should be read.  What is the character like (traits)?  What is the character feeling?  How would the character say something in the situation?  What is the character’s point of view about the situation? How should one character’s voice be different than that of another’s?  That’s a lot to consider for a second grader!

Since understanding point of view in third grade is dependent on students’ analysis of the character’s traits, feelings, motives, and responses to other characters or the events in a story, naturally it would make sense to incorporate Literacy CCRA.R.3 when teaching point of view.  This is where we have opportunities not only to bridge grade level expectations but to weave together other standards in our approach.

With the right text and guidance, we can make use of every opportunity to engage students in making these connections as they go deeper with the text and integrate standards.  The following are a couple of approaches I have found conducive to successfully doing this.  These include how to select the perfect read aloud that lends itself to teaching POV & perspective.

Using Narrative Poems for Teaching Point of View

Using a narrative poem like Shel Silverstein’s Crocodile’s Toothache is a perfect example.  It has a topic with which most students can relate: going to the dentist or having a toothache.  It has a speaker that tells the story 3rd person, and it has a lot of dialogue and action between two very animated characters: the evil dentist who has no consideration for the crocodile’s feelings and the crocodile who is in agony and at the mercy of the evil dentist.  It’s humorous. It’s of high interest to students.  It’s easy to analyze the characters’ traits, feelings, and motives by what they say or do.

More importantly, students can take it to the next level by making connections with the crocodile’s situation and making inferences about the characters’ points of view regarding the value of teeth (i.e the dentist plucks away at them as if they don’t matter, while the crocodile cherishes them for obvious crocodile reasons).  With this understanding, students can also determine their own point of view based on their own experiences and feelings about their teeth or visits to the dentist.

I can’t express how much I value the use of narrative poetry to organically weave together these learning targets so seamlessly.

  • Students can begin by using character graphic organizers to analyze characters to determine their traits and feelings.
  • They can use these inferences about their traits and feelings to interpret the voices and expressions they will use while reading the characters’ dialogue. (hitting the 2nd grade point of view target)
  • They can also interpret the speaker’s voice/expression by paying close attention to repetitive words, onomatopoeia, and punctuation.
  • Students can consider the characters’ traits, feelings, motives and responses to a situation to help them determine the characters’ point of view or perspective about the situation or topic.
  • They can make text-to-self connections with the crocodile and his predicament to determine their own point of view.
  • They can also practice their fluency by reading and rereading this short text.

That is a lot of intentional instruction with just one text!  When we can repurpose a text for a close read and to get students digging deeper into the text, it’s a win-win for both teachers and students.

I encourage you to try it out.  For my free resource that goes with this poem sign up for my free resource library on my homepage to get this and exclusive resources I offer on my website.

The Relatable Aloud

Another approach I use to introduce point of view to my third graders is the relatable read aloud.  When we offer our students stories that are fun, of high interest, or are about a topic with which they can easily relate, students get it.

In third grade, students not only have to determine a character’s or narrator’s point of view, they have to ask themselves whether they agree or disagree with either of these perspectives.  This means they have to evaluate the point of view of the character or narrator based on their own experiences, beliefs, values, feelings, or attitudes about the topic or situation presented in the story.  This brings RL.6 to a higher level of thinking, especially since we expect students to justify why.

When students can naturally connect with a text because they can easily relate to the topic or story situation, or they can make connections with the character’s experience in the story, it makes this expectation much more tangible for them.  If we begin with these types of texts, students are better equipped to express their perspectives and why they agree or disagree with the character’s or narrator’s point of view based on their own experiences, beliefs, values, feelings, or attitudes.

Selecting the Perfect Read Aloud for Teaching Point of View

The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt
I Wanna Iguana, by Karen Kaufman Orloff
Hey, Little Ant, by Phillip & Hannah Hoose
The Ant Bully, by John Nickel
Three Hens and a Peacock, by Lester L. Laminack

Below are a few things to consider when seeking out other story titles that could work just as well.

For engaging, no-prep activities for teaching point of view and perspective, please visit my store for this resources.  This toolkit focuses on RL3.6 & RL4.6.

by laine 

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A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚 to A Bad Case of Stripes is an awesome book 📚  to teach character trait analysis and message!  I love 😍 when I can take a few lines from the text and turn it into a language lesson- adjectives, similes, and nouns. "Camilla was striped from head to toe.  She looked like a rainbow 🌈 ," lent itself to the imagination💭 of all my third graders.  She was a leopard🐆 , a disco ball🕺, a zebra🦓, a tree🌳, a chicken🐔, a fish🐟... You name it, my students brainstormed so many adjectives and thought of great comparisons that would represent those adjectives so well.  Lessons like this, you can't help but love what you do. 💗 
You can find a link 🔗 in my profile. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-and-Book-Companion-Bad-Case-of-Stripes-RL32-33-36-37-4177690 *
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave st So after finding adjectives in our poem, I gave students a list of rhyming foods. Students worked in partners to come up with their own versus using adjectives to describe  foods to add to Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout’s garbage problem. ❤️ I love when poetry lends itself to so many authentic activities. Loved the student engagement. *
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillow Love, love, love ❤️ 💕❤️ my Emoji pillows and rolled towels for an easy way to create seating flexibility in my classroom during read-to-self time and partner reading.  I usually start out with students finding a place in the room to read, and as I walk around to listen 👂 to students read or talk about their reading, ⁣
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I choose those who are totally engaged in their reading activity to grab a towel or pillow and find a comfortable place to read.  Each day is a new day for students to practice reading expectations, so I really like to select different students who are trying to apply what good readers do. ⁣
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What do you do to help motivate your kiddos to focus on engagement while independently reading or reading with a partner? ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #iteachreading #studentengagement
Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students re Fluency Friday was awesome today❗️ Students read the poem Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out, by Shel Silverstein. We highlighted adjectives throughout the poem and even used a list of rhyming foods and thought of great adjectives to describe those foods to create our own versus to add to the garbage heap. This Friday the 13th 🗓 / full moon 🌕 didn’t have a chance to get our ELA block off track!
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
As we begin the school year strong, one of the mos As we begin the school year strong, one of the most important reading activities I do with my 3rd-grade students is a method I use to increase student engagement 💯. Though there are benefits to turn-and-talks during 📖 read alouds, I still struggled with not getting a true sense of what my individual kiddos were getting and what was a struggle or misconception. ⁣⁣
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The Think🤔, Jot ✏️, Share 💬  method provides for my students an opportunity to think about the question in front of them, jot their ideas once they've had a moment of think time, and share their thoughts with a partner.  While I'm able to engage with students during think and share times to offer support, the biggest plus is that I have a formative assessment that gives me so much insight 🔍 into their application of the focus standard and their written expression.  I also use response booklets to plan my next steps👣. ⁣⁣
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In addition to this, I can repurpose my read aloud to teach multiple focus standards, and my students have an opportunity to reanalyze a familiar text with a different purpose for reading. ⁣⁣
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If you want to increase your students' engagement during read aloud time, you can find a 🔗link in my profile for this Think, Jot, Share post.  The resource provides a complete guide for implementation, management, and preplanned questions for literature standards to make planning a breeze.....and so much more. ⁣⁣
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What do you do to increase your students' engagement during read alouds? ❓❓❓⁣⁣
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https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Interactive-Read-Aloud-Booklets-Book-Companion-RL3-2-3-3-3-4-3-6-3-7-4182596⁣⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
I love lifting a line from our interactive read al I love lifting a line from our interactive read aloud and using it as a mentor sentence. With this sentence, my students had a great discussion about how some nouns can become adjectives.  i.e. though butter and peppermints can be nouns, they describe the tea and cookies in this particular sentence. ⁣
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My students enjoy mentor sentence activities so much, they sometimes like to go the extra mile and illustrate their cloned version of the sentence.  In this sentence, students had our principal, Mr. Price setting up a table with hot cocoa ☕️ and ice cream cake 🍰, the kind with sprinkles on top. ❤️ I just love the illustrations. ⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #teacherspayteachersfreebie #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement
I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents I love 💖 how our school celebrates Grandparents' Day. 👩‍🦳🧓 All grandparents are invited to have school breakfast with our kiddos.  Our family resource coordinator sets up decorated tables in the cafeteria and the gym so students have a nice place to have a pleasant meal with their loved ones. 📸 She also sets up this photo bench to capture this special day. ⁣
What does your school do for Grandparents’ Day? ❓❓❓
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#grandparentsday  #teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers
📸Picture day is one of the many things going on 📸Picture day is one of the many things going on at the beginning of the year.  I love seeing all my kiddos dressed up and ready to say cheese.🧀 ⁣
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Unfortunately for Stanley Birdbaum, he got his dates mixed up. 🗓️ You would think dressing for crazy hair day on picture day would be disastrous…but not for Stanley, thanks to his great classroom community of friends and a teacher who knows how to turn a bad day into a great one. 💕 ⁣
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If you haven't read 📖 Crazy Hair Day to your kiddos, it's a wonderful read, especially around picture day. I LoVe reading this story to my kids each year.  This book shows kids how they can show up for one another when friends aren't having such a great day. ⁣
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What picture books about friendship do you absolutely love and read every year? ❓❓❓ *⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #intentionalteacher #readingstrategies #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement⁣
#picturedayatschool
Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is Dot Day is coming up next week! 💕 This book is a great way to celebrate the day and kick off growth mindset 🌱🧠 in your classroom. If you don’t have the book, there is a great animated video of the book online 🖥. Just google The Dot, by Peter Reynolds.  Your kiddos will love seeing how the main character goes from having a fixed mindset to a growth mindset all because of a dot. 😍⁣
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⁣Need some activities to go with the story or to launch or foster growth mindset in your classroom?  Click the link in my profile. 🔗https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/The-Dot-by-Peter-Reynolds-Growth-Mindset-Activities-Poster-3302113⁣
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#teachersofig #weareteachers #iteachupperelementary #iteachuppergrades #teachersofthegram #iteach345 #iteach3rd #iteachthirdgrade #iteachthird #elementaryteacher #elementaryteachers #teacherspayteachers #dotday #teacherspayteachersresources #iteachthirdgraders #teachingwithintention #dotday2019  #anchorcharts #readingstrategies #readinganchorcharts #instateachers #instateacher #iteachela #teachingreading #readaloud #readalouds #iteachreading #interactivereading #interactivereadaloud #studentengagement

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