The Big Fresh from Choice Literacy
August 8, 2009
A Place at the Table
When my parents moved to a smaller place years ago, they gave away many
furnishings to my siblings and me. I had only one request - I
wanted the round oak table from the kitchen, the site of marathon card
games, most family meals, and many happy memories from my
childhood. My husband, daughter and I drove 1400 miles
roundtrip in the dog days of summer to pick up that table, with much
grumbling enroute and traveling home with the U-Haul in tow.
The oak table today, with summer lilies starting to bloom.
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We groaned and grunted as we carefully rolled the table into our own
small house. But once it was in place, the house we
had lived in for two years finally became a home. There is just
something about the warm wood in that hundred-year-old table that gives
a sense of stability, of comfort. . .that begs you to pull up a chair
to chat or sort through a problem.
Nancie Atwell writes about the goal of having "diningroom table
conversations" about books and writing in our
classrooms. A few years ago Franki Sibberson
realized there might be a literal truth in this ideal - if we
bring real diningroom tables into our classrooms and converse at them,
the whole tenor of the conversations might change. Franki added a
wooden table and chairs to her classroom seating arrangement, and
immediately saw the quality of talk in conferences and small groups
lifted.
I'm sure there are good scientific reasons that could be teased out to
explain why and how diningroom tables affect classroom talk. Here's my
completely unscientific take. First, "coming to the table" promotes
anticipation at home - of a meal, homework, shared tasks with people
you love. Perhaps the background knowledge students bring to
the task of "pulling up to the table" elevates their preparation a bit?
Second, maybe there's a bunch of ultra-modern homes in Beverly Hills
that have diningroom furniture made of metal and plastic. But
for the most part, cold metal and plastic tables are only the norm in
schools - not anywhere else. Wood is just warmer - it shows
its scars and history proudly. There's a sense of traditions
being born and carried on when you're sitting at an old table, at a
time when it seems like so little in our world endures.
If you want better conversations in your conferences with students,
colleagues or small groups this year, consider adding a "diningroom
style" table to your classroom or staff area this year. You
can often find them at end-of-summer garage sales. You might
be surprised at how quickly they can make your classroom feel more like
home for students.
This week, we've got suggestions of chapter books for very young
readers. Plus more as always - enjoy!
Brenda Power
Editor, Choice Literacy
Free for All
In recent years teachers have discovered the power of using
picture books with middle and high school students to teach reading
strategies. Shari Frost discovers the mirror opposite truth -
even the youngest readers can enjoy chapter book read alouds (though
sometimes their picture-book-loving teachers need
convincing!). In this article from the Choice Literacy
Archives, Shari lists her favorite chapter books for holding the
attention of youngsters during read alouds:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/public/91.cfm
Nothing delights a young reader more than being able to say, "I'm
reading a chapter book!" The Lit for Kids blog has posted a
terrific collection of first chapter books for beginning readers:
http://tinyurl.com/nt3fkj
If you're getting ready for school, you're likely also preparing for
family welcome events. The ever-dependable Reading Rockets
has many resource links in "Bright ideas for Back to School Nights and
Beyond":
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/25997
What I like about the The Boy Reader Blog is how authentic the posts
are. The blog includes far more than just book suggestions -
there are tales of putting books in boys' hands and getting their
reactions, back and forth with colleagues about the quality of specific
texts, and just a lot of fun, real-world nitty-gritty details of what
books hook boys:
http://www.theboyreader.blogspot.com/
The final Choice Literacy Workshops in 2009 will take place in
Rockland, Maine October 17-18 at the beautiful Samoset Resort. Topics
include CAFE Assessment with The Sisters, Assessment with Clare
Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan, Delight in Words with Franki Sibberson,
and Literacy Coach Jumpstart with Jennifer Allen. If you have
never been to this venue on the rocky Maine coast, you are in for a
treat. You can download the two-page PDF brochure describing the
workshops at this link:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/samoset09.pdf
For Members
Only
This week we've posted the first of a new two-part series from Andrea
Smith on integrating word study routines into nonfiction reading
activities. Living Words present quick routines that help
students see the power of rich vocabulary for describing the natural
world around them. While Andrea is working with 4th graders,
the activities can be adapted for older or younger
students. The series includes links to resources on
the web to use for nonfiction reading and word study:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/941.cfm
It takes a lot of preparation for literacy coaches to get ready for the
new year, so we've posted a new Choice Literacy Cluster on Organizing
for Literacy Coaches at the Start of the Year:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/948.cfm
Morning Meeting is a popular way to start the day in many
classrooms. It's a great way to greet everyone, share plans
for the day, and set a warm, kind tone for learning. In this
week's video, Danielle French leads her kindergartners in their morning
meeting, and then discusses the activity with "The Sisters" (Gail
Boushey and Joan Moser):
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/949.cfm
Finally, in "Countdown: Keeping Children at the Center of My
Planning," Cathy Mere reminds us that the excitement of facing new
students is always tempered and enriched by the lessons from last
year's students we carry with us:
http://www.choiceliteracy.com/members/950.cfm
That's all for this week!
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Jennifer Allen