The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy July 10, 2010 Read Alouds for the First Days of School


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The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
July 10, 2010
Read Alouds for the First Days of School

Recently I heard about a sales technique that has fascinated me ever since. It's called the "Obligated Question." The technique gets salespeople out of endless rounds of negotiation with clients, and into decision-making quickly.

For example, if a customer came to an auto dealership, she might say she was interested in a particular Buick or Honda or Toyota model. Once the salesperson showed her the car, she might respond, "That car is gray - I was really hoping to buy a red one." If the salesperson showed her a red version of the same car she might say, "This car is an automatic - I like shifting gears." When the salesperson showed her a red car with a standard transmission, she might respond, "I was really hoping for leather seats - do you have the upgraded package?"

And so it goes. Unless the salesperson presents the "Obligated Question," which comes after the third request for an adaptation of the initial request. The obligated question in this case would be, "If I present you with a red car that has a standard transmission and leather seats from this car lot, are you ready to purchase that car today?" The question obligates the buyer to make an immediate decision, and saves everyone a lot of time and possibly fruitless rounds of negotiation.

I've been thinking about how the obligated question might work in schools. We know (and the research certainly verifies this view) that enduring in schools takes time - not weeks or months, but years. But I also know the number one complaint from literacy coaches and grade-level team leaders is that some teachers are unwilling to make any changes in classrooms. Yes, change takes time - but most major improvements in schools are not one huge leap, but a series of small, incremental, risky shifts that take place teacher by teacher, classroom by classroom over many months and years. A big time sink for school leaders can be the hours spent negotiating with colleagues who aren't willing to take that first step.

So how would an obligated question work for a literacy leader? The next time you hear a teacher respond that she can't try literature circles because she doesn't have the books, and it doesn't work in her schedule, and there are too many different reading levels in her classroom, stop right there. Once you've heard the third condition for change, it's time for the obligated question. You might ask, "If I provide you with the books you need, we work together to carve out a half hour in your schedule for a short-term experiment with literature circles, and I agree to help you with the most challenging readers for the next two weeks, would you be willing to start literature circles tomorrow?"

If, then. . .rather than more weeks and months of negotiating what needs to be in place for your colleague to try something new. The obligated question also requires the person who wants the change to drop everything for a bit, rearrange schedules, and gather resources quickly so that the obligation can be fulfilled in a day or two. But it's a terrific technique for determining if the will to change is genuine or not.

This week we've got many suggestions for starting your school year with the perfect read-aloud. Plus more as always - enjoy!

Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy

Free for All

What's your favorite first read aloud of the year? We've compiled suggestions from Big Fresh subscribers for preschoolers through adolescent learners. We'll also share more read aloud suggestions next week:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/1213.cfm

If you're savoring the last pages of your current book, wishing for a next one like it, you'll enjoy this book recommendation tool on the web. Just type in the title and author of your latest book, and within moments next-read suggestions appear:

http://www.bookseer.com/

How do we reach reluctant readers? Maybe we start by asking them what they need. That's exactly what YA author Sydney Salter did at the From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors blog. This is also a fun blog to explore for information on new releases and authors if you work with this age level:

http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2010/07/1192/

Are you heading to NCTE this fall in Orlando? Consider coming a day early for a Choice Literacy Workshop. Presenters include Jennifer Allen, Gail Boushey & Joan Moser ("The Sisters"), Clare Landrigan & Tammy Mulligan, and Franki Sibberson. You can download more information and a registration flyer at this link (it's a two-page PDF file):

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/orlando2010.pdf

For Members Only

Teachers usually get the management of their classrooms under control in the early years of their careers, but it's something we're always tweaking and reconsidering. Summer is a great time for rethinking routines, and we've got two articles this week with different angles on the topic.

Ann Williams knows the value of "housekeeping" at home, even if it isn't always her favorite task. But the daily "Housekeeping" transition time in her 4th grade classroom is actually a lot of fun, and it's a springboard for more productive, independent work for her students:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1210.cfm

My kingdom for a pencil! Or in some classrooms, a shoe?! Heather Rader talks through the hassles of keeping a stock of pencils in the classroom with a colleague who struggles with the issue. It's a mundane task. But without something to write with, it's hard for students to be successful in writer's workshop:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1212.cfm

In this week's video, Andie Cunningham confers with Luis, a six-year-old English language learner who expresses himself in writing primarily through drawing:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1216.cfm

Video Updates: We continue to repost many videos in new formats and players (with higher resolution and full-screen options). As we make these improvements, we'll announce them in the newsletter. Here are two updated videos you may want to revisit as you set up your classrooms for the start of the school year -

Maureen Knostman of Dublin, Ohio gives a tour of her literacy-rich kindergarten classroom:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1214.cfm

Katie Doherty guides viewers through her middle-school classroom in Portland, Oregon:

http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/1215.cfm

That's all for this week!