LITERATURECIRCLESANDSHAREDREADING:BookTalks

Teaching Reading, Speaking, and Listening: A Practical

Demonstration
(SeeAimsofReadingTeachers,notesfromLeahonnextpage)
Purposeoftodaysclassinthecurriculumlibraryistoprovideyouwith:
amicroteachingexperiencewhichcloselysimulatesthekindof
workyouwillbedoingyourfieldexperiencewhichstartsinacouple
ofweeks.[InPSIpracticum,timeis1/3observation,1/3assistingtheteaching,
and1/3teachinginthisfirstpracticumandyouwillbeinvolvedin
workingwithliteratureandexpositorytextsandrequiringstudents
toengageinallsixlanguageartsstrands.]
practiceatusingtheteachingstrategyofliteraturecirclesandbooktalks,(and
perhapsauthorschairorgraphicorganizersfortexts)asanexcellent
waytodevelop,maintain,andextendyourstudentspersonalliteracy
increaseinyourpersonalknowledgeofteachingtextsandteachingrepertoires
tousewithbooks;toseemultiplewaysofteachingwithbooks
experiencesofarangeofgradelevels(picturebooksforprimary,chapterbooks
andtextsforjuniorandseniorsecondaryschools)andvarietyofgenres
toattend
toandinviteindividualinterestsofyourstudents
haveapracticalexperienceofaliteracyassignmentreadytotryitoutinreallife
teachingsituations
opportunitytogetresponsetoandsuggestionsaboutusingyourbooksina
teachingcontext
theexperienceoflisteningandrespondingtoreadings
Indoingyourbooktalksinyourliterature(reading)circles,youstraddlebothworldsofbeing
studentandbeingteacher.Thisisalsoanopportunityformodelingteachingandoralreading,
guidingpracticewithpeers,engaginginindependentapplicationasstudents,andinpedagogic
reflectionaspreserviceteachers:
1.Pleasehaveonesetofpeerandselfevaluationpages(handedoutinclass).
2.Numberoff19andgetintogroupsof4or5(max)peopleforeachgroup
3.Inyourgroups,eachpersonshouldfindapeerevaluatorsothateachpersonin
thegroupevaluatesapresenteronlyonce,andnotthesamepeople
evaluating
eachother.
4.Eachpersonreads/presentshisorherpicturebooktothegroupandbrieflytalks

aboutwhythebook/poem(s)waschosenandhowitcouldbeusedinteaching.
5.Whenallarefinishedwiththepicturebookandliteraturecirclepresentations,return
thepeerfeedbacktotheoriginatorandthenspend34minutesself
evaluating
yourownpresentationusingtheformprovided.

6.TalkabouttheLiteratureFair:Yourexperiencesofwhatyouliked,wanted,
learned,andsuggestionsifYOUwererunningaliteraturefairfor
people.

7.Reportfromyourgroupattheendofclassaboutyourbooktalks,andlit.fair.
8.Handinyourevaluationsheetswithanynotesorinformationyoumayhavehadready.

LITERATURECIRCLESANDSHAREDREADING:BookTalks
AimsofTheReadingTeacher

NotesfromDr.L.Fowler
startwithwherethechildrenareandtakethemfurthergiveclasstimeforpractice,practice,practice
lotsofopportunitytoengagewithauthentictextsprovideabalanceornarrativeandexpositorytexts
teachstudentsalargereadingresponserepertoire
useinstructionalscaffoldingofmodellingexpertreadingbehavior,guidedpractice,andopportunitiesfor
independentapplicationandchoice
helpthemnegotiatecriteriaforgoodresponsestoreadingandcriteriaforgoodliterature
helpthemtolearntoreadandreadtolearn
listentoindividualstudentsreadaloud,givepreparationtime,andcoachhowtoimproveoralreading
assessreadingskillsregularly,butdontassesseverythingsinceourgoalistopromoteenjoymenttoo
helpstudentssetreadinggoalsandbeawareoftheirownprogress(metacognitionskillsareimportant)
teachthemstrategiesforwhentheygetstuck:phonics,contextclues,ask,pictures,keepreadingandthen
gobacktofigureitout...
encourage(andrequire)themtoreadfromavarietyoftexts.
provideamplesilentandoralreadingopportunities(DEAR,USSRetc.)
encouragestudentstoworkonprogressivelymoredifficulttextsasready
providesstimulating,creativeactivitieswhenusingtextsthatenhancetheirunderstandinganduseof
texts,whichpromotepersonalinsight
getstudentstoanalyzedthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem.Facilitatelearningastheymake/create
interpretationsandaskthemtoexplain/supporttheirchoices
talktostudentsabouttheirinterests,reading,thingstheywanttoknow;planforandwiththem.
provideparentswithregularfeedbackandencouragehomereadingprograms
respectreadingforpleasureandreadingwithapurpose
encouragecooperativework(buddies,groups)
keeptrackofeachstudentsreadingchoicesandaccomplishments
assessinavarietyofways(seeEvaluatingLiteracyandministrydocuments
readorallytotheclasssharedreadingatalllevels
motivate,andacceptdifferences
keepcommunicationlinesopen
createaninteresting,dynamic,changingclassroomenvironmentthatstimulatesreading(couch,cushions,
carpets,librarytime,bulletinboards)
supportreadingwithspelling,grammar,vocabularyasappropriate,towardconventionalformatandcorrectness
ensuredecodingisoccurringaswellasunderstandingtobuildconfidenceineachreaderasagoodreader
keepthemawareofwriters/authorsintheircommunityhaveguestreaders,writers,andspeakers
makeconnectionsbetweenwhattheyarereadingandtheirownlivesorcommunitiesandrealworld
information;waysofbringingitalltogether
activelypromoteandmodelreading(demonstratethenecessityoftheskill)
teachthemaworkingknowledgeofhowtextsaremadetieinwritingactivitieswithreading
toreachthegoalssetoutforeachgradeintheprescribedprovincialcurriculumandoutcomes
movetowardliteracyandcompetencyinreadallkindsoftextsfrommedicinebottlestoopeninga
savingsaccount,toletters,newspapers,stories,etc.
exposuretoasmuchreadingaspossible(andmeaningfulreading)
neverusingridicule,intimidation,sarcasm;providingforasenseofdignityofeachlearner
figuringoutthebestwaytohelpeachchildimprovehisorherreading
planforprogressionandintellectualchallengeaswellasinterest
teachingreadinginvolvesactiveparticipationbyeachstudent
familiarizethemwiththeconventionsoftext,writing,andstory
involvethestudentsintheirreading,developinggoalswhichteachingthe
rightstufffromthecurriculum
needtobeawareofwhatweteachwellandpushourselvesaslearners
haveatimefortalkingandsocialengagement,andsilentindividualtime
keepabreastofchangesincurriculumandresourcesandmethods
strategiesyouknowinsideouttosupportandsparkinterest/understanding
phonicsandwholelanguageforafullreadingrepertoire

LITERATURECIRCLESANDSHAREDREADING:BookTalks
pocketcharts,sharedreading,miscues,readerstheatre,mapping,profiles,bitsandpieces,sixhat
thinking,character,alphabet,speaking,listening,viewing,writing...
havepatiencenoticesomenaturalpacing studentsaredoingthebesttheycan

LITERATURECIRCLESANDSHAREDREADING:BookTalks

3503LiteratureCircle

BookTalksandPicture BookPresentation

Presenter(s):Evaluator:
Booktitleandauthor:

Self

Peer
Content

(checkifpresent)
ChoiceofQualitytext,statementofgenreandgradelevel___
___
Mention,talkaboutauthor
___
___
Readthetextaloudandcommentonpicturequalities___
___
TeachingImplicationsandStrategiesforReading___
___
Informationrich,evidenceofresearch,learning,background___ ___
Statepersonalconnectiontoyourtext/chosenauthors ___
___
Connectiontoprovinciallanguageartscurriculum___
___
Presentation

Goodvoicetone,oralquality,volume,rateofreading
___
Respectfuloftimelimitsnomorethan10minutes
___
Professional(modelingeffectiveteaching,comingalive,interest)___
Goodeyecontactandinteraction___
Logicalorganizationandclosewiththankyou___
Other(extratoreading)
___

ObservationsandResponsestoPresentation:Pleasewritebelow

___
___
___
___
___
___

Peer:[Iliked....Iwonder....nexttimemaybeyoucould...]

Self:[Iliked.....Iwished.....nexttimemaybeIcould]

Overallevaluation(circleone):

Peer:

Great

Good

OK

RecommendedScore_____/

Self:

Great

Good

OK

OtherCommentsorQuestions?: