FLaRE's Online
Volume 6, Issue 49 May,
2006
Developing/Using Text/Book Sets
TABLE OF CONTENTS
In this Issue:
1. News from Enrique Puig, Director of FLaRE
2. Sharing the Good News
3. FLaRE FLASH - Developing/Using Text/Book Sets
4. From the FLaRE Library
5. Online Developing/Using Text/Book Sets Resources
6. News from
7. Upcoming Conferences and Activities
1. News from Enrique Puig, Director of FLaRE epuig@mail.ucf.edu
Classroom libraries and text sets are powerful instruction procedures to support students’ literacy development. Whether using classroom libraries or text sets with students, we have to take into account our purpose for using it as an instructional procedure. This issue of the FLaRE newsletter is full of illustrations and advice for using classroom libraries and text sets. As you read through the newsletter it is important to keep in mind some of the guiding theoretical frameworks that support the instructional procedures for implementing classroom libraries and text sets for sensitive, mindful teaching to improve student learning. One of those theoretical frameworks is that language is a tool for thinking. Through classroom libraries and text sets and talk, students are exposed to new vocabulary that arms them with new words for critical and creative thinking. A second theory to guide the implementation of classroom libraries and text sets is that knowledge is socially constructed. These two Vygotskian theories are particularly critical when implementing classroom libraries and text sets, as an instructional procedure, due to the fact that both theories should impact the selection of materials and physical arrangement of the classroom. Both theories, along with this newsletter, will serve us well when kept in the forefront of our thinking as we implement the use of classroom libraries and text sets.
2.
Sharing the Good News
Submitted by Margaret McCormick, Reading Coach, Holley Navarre Middle School in Santa Rosa County mccormickm@mail.santarosa.k12.fl.us
| Holley Navarre Middle School 7th grade social studies students researched what was happening in our world on the specific date they were born after their teacher, Ashley Kesterson read On the Day You Were Born aloud to her students. She also read Out of the Ocean and Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster to them. The 8th grade art teacher also read aloud these stories and her students created scale drawings of her book covers which adorn the bulletin board. The student art work was one of the first things that Debra Frasier, the author of these wonderful books, saw when she paid a visit to our school. |  |
 |
| At the March meeting of the Santa Rosa Reading Council, Debra Frasier spoke about the writing process resembling the artist drawing process and showed slides of her art in various stages of development. She also shared pictures of Vocabulary Parades and Hat Vocabulary being created in schools across the country. You can see more at her website, http://www.debrafrasier.com. | (Click to see larger image) |
|
Literacy Week Project
Submitted by Annemarie Prioriello, Beverly Shores Elementary School in Lake County priorielloa@lake.k12.fl.us
A few years ago I began a project for my school called Literacy Week. It was planned for the end of the school year to help the children stay academically focused when all they are thinking about is summer vacation! It was also used as a kick-off for our summer reading challenge, where the administrators promise to do something outrageous if the children read a certain number of books or for so many hours. However, it could be done at any time of the year. Each day of the week has a theme and the students and staff dress for the theme. For example, if the theme is Lasso a Good Book, then the theme is western and the dress and even some of the activities correspond with that theme. I give the teachers a packet with all the information they need to participate, so it is not more work for them. Each day there is a list of suggested activities. I include some reading, some writing and some storytelling activities each day, as well as a great website that they might not be familiar with. Each day ends with a school wide activity. For example, one day we might play Bingo over the closed circuit TV. The class buzzes the office when they have Bingo and there is someone waiting by the intercom to take their name. When we have a winner from each grade level, the game is over. We culminate the week with a Storybook Character Parade and outdoor assembly where each grade group performs their literacy cheers that they have been working on all week, we give them all certificates and get them pumped up to meet the summer reading challenge. In addition, we try to schedule a performance for the students, and throughout the week we deliver surprises to the classrooms, like pencils that say Literacy Week on them, or Gummi "book"worms, etc. We also decorate our doors as a book jacket and have a poster contest to promote literacy. If you would like more information and/or an electronic file of a packet I have used, please email me.
“Bring Your Book to Book Lunch” Bunch
Submitted by Maxine Mangus, Tavares Middle School in Lake County mangusm@lake.k12.fl.us
3.
FLaRE FLASH – Observation Classrooms
Text Sets’ Role in Literacy Development and Instruction
Vicky Zygouris-Coe, Ph.D. FLaRE Research Coordinator and Assistant Professor in Reading Education, University of Central Florida vzygouri@mail.ucf.edu
What are texts sets?
They are a collection of instructional materials (e.g., film, print, music) related to key standards, concepts, and themes in a content area unit. Text sets allow teachers to provide differentiated instruction through knowledge of students’ reading levels. Text sets encourage student motivation, engagement, fluency, comprehension, and a life-long attitude toward reading.
The sequence of a text set includes the following steps: a) use media, popular culture texts, or current events to introduce the unit, establish relevancy to students’ lives, draw students’ attention to the topic of study, and encourage motivation; b) read aloud or have students read easy to access text to help build background knowledge and vocabulary; c) use expository texts (leveled independent reading) with direct instruction in decoding and comprehension skills; c) provide guided reading instruction, make links to text, and provide independent and successful practice and extensive writing research/writing.
What kinds of text can I use to support my instruction and students’ literacy development?
All texts are closely aligned to the theme or concept; for example: photos, young adult literature, children’s literature, narrative and expository texts, primary source documents and artifacts, magazine articles, newspaper articles, picture books, web sites and electronic resources,
Why text sets?
Are all of your students provided with texts they can read and are motivated to read? Do you provide your students with time and materials to explore various topics and themes? Text sets allow the teacher to provide differentiated instruction, satisfy students’ interests and reading levels.
What can text sets do for students’ literacy development?
Teachers need to provide students with opportunities and time to read widely in all content areas to build content knowledge and fluency. Providing students with varied texts allows them to build background knowledge and vocabulary and helps them find texts they are interested in and motivated to read.
Text sets help develop student motivation and engagement with reading and writing. Students learn to find information in text, support their comprehension through varied reading, and build their knowledge of text formats.
Introducing new vocabulary, building background and content knowledge, building content literacy, transforming content knowledge, building knowledge of text formats, modeling/supporting comprehension strategies, learning how to find information in text,
Where can I find out more information about text sets?
http://www.teach.virginia.edu/go/tempo/VCCB/TextSets2/TextSetMain.html
Multimedia Text Sets
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gipej/mts/textsets.htm
What can my students learn through text sets?
Read.Write.Think
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=305
American History Literature Text Sets
http://www.walloon.com/conference_handouts/ALAN/AmericanHistoryLitCircleTextSets.doc
References
Camp, D. (2000). It takes two: Teaching with twin texts of fact and fiction. The
Just Read,
Opitz, M. (1998). Text sets: One way to flex your grouping–in first grade too! Reading Teacher, 51(7), 622-623.
Rosenblatt, L. (1982). The literary transaction: Evocation and response. Theory Into Practice, 21(4), 268-277.
Purposeful Text Selection for Beginning Readers
Karen Ladinsky, RF-PD Resource Coordinator ladinsky@mail.ucf.edu
For those schools receiving Reading First federal funding, the requirement of effectively creating a school and classroom print-rich environment that supports reading for all students throughout the school year is nothing new. It is clearly described in the State Reading First Application that attaining a print-rich environment means providing for: 1) a wide assortment of engaging text materials to read for a variety of purposes, 2) frequent accessibility to text materials, 3) a wide reading range of text materials that align with individual student reading development, and 4) an up-to-date quality collection.
For the purposes of this article, I will briefly focus on the third point; that is, the necessity of providing in our Reading First classrooms a wide range of text materials that align with individual student reading development. When considered in this manner, and when considering the robust body of research on beginning reading, it becomes evident that any one type of text would certainly not meet the needs of students moving through the process of learning to read. Brown cites numerous research studies that indicate learning to read is a developmental process during which students make predictable, gradual, qualitative changes over time. Simply stated, students’ interactions with text change as they move from learning about print, and how it works, to the labors of learning to decode, and on to the growing independence that fluency brings. It stands to reason, then, that teachers need to use particular types of text to achieve particular goals with particular students at particular points in their reading development (Brown, 1999). Therefore, instead of asking, “What type of text is best?” teachers need to be asking, “What type of text is best suited for achieving the purposes needed to usher a student seamlessly to the next phase of reading development?”
In her article, “What Kind of Text: For Whom and When? Textual Scaffolding for Beginning Readers,” Kathleen J. Brown describes five types of text and how teachers’ skillful matching of text types to students’ reading development can best support reading progress. Predictable text, transitional text, decodable text, easy reader text, and authentic literature and nonfiction all lend themselves to the process of scaffolding readers at different stages of development. Essentially, the most obvious differences in the different types of text comes from the amount of control an author uses in word choice, sentence structure, and even the amount of text on the page. Authors of predictable, transitional, decodable, and even easy reader text use this control to make what they write accessible to beginning readers. It is this accessibility that provides beginning readers with multiple successful experiences with print, thus building their confidence, stamina, and motivation.
Brown’s article, originally published in the December 1999/January 2000 issue of The Reading Teacher, describes each type of text, as well as the strategic activities that beginning readers rely on to read the text type and the most effective instructional uses of the text type. The article is reprinted in the Just Read,
References:
Brown, K. J. (1999/2000). What kind of text: For whom and when? Textual scaffolding for beginning readers. The
Using Text Sets
Betsy McClure, FLaRE Resource Coordinator emcclure@mail.ucf.edu
Text sets, are quite simply, differentiated instruction in a physical form. What do I mean by that? Setting up text sets for your classroom is a response to meeting the diverse needs of students by utilizing various types of texts to access various types of learners. The typical model for a text set is centered on a theme or topic, and includes setting up a basket with multiple resources that provide information on that theme or topic. One can include picture books, magazines, fiction, non-fiction, websites, charts, maps, photographs or other forms of artwork, poetry or songs, and reference books. Basically the common thread is the theme or topic, and the differentiation is the genres and formats used, including a range of reading levels so that all students can be included in the unit of study. For specific examples, click on: http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view_printer_friendly.asp?id=305. This is lesson specific, and includes the following with regard to text sets: an overview, the transfer from theory to practice, and additional resources to delve deeper into this instructional practice.
Thinking about encouraging the use of this technique across the curriculum, or across grades, one may want to click on this link <http://info.fldoe.org/justread/04CoachSuccess/TextSets.pdf> at Just Read!, Florida for an explanation of the rationale for using text sets, connecting the concepts to FCAT, getting started with text sets, and supporting their use in your school. This could be a springboard for discussion among teachers as to where they are in their understanding and implementation of using text sets to support ALL readers, and planning where to go next.
Text sets are a way to support scaffolding of core instruction (textbooks), expand students’ experiences and support developing background knowledge, as well as capitalizing on students’ strengths and mediating their weaknesses. Another benefit is increased motivation on the students’ part, because they are able to access the information provided. A theme basket is a multigenre answer to the old problems of willing participation and whole class inclusion in literature’s big ideas. (Richison, Hernandez, & Carter, 2002).
References
Richison, J. D., Hernandez, A. C., & Carter, M. (2002). Blending multiple genres in theme baskets. English Journal, 92(2), 76-81.
Building Classroom Libraries
Charla Bauer, FLaRE Area 5 Resource Coordinator cbauer@mail.ucf.edu
Recently, reading coach Kris Schirmer and I had the opportunity to work with
Planning
Before beginning a classroom library project, the district and school administrators need to commit resources and build their background knowledge on the use of classroom libraries. The classroom library is a collection of texts: books, magazines, picture books, journal articles, Websites—just to name a few—that reflect a variety of reading levels and are made available in the classroom for students to access in support of their learning. It is key not to confuse the use of classroom libraries with the practice of having all students read the same “outside” text to supplement a textbook.
Immersion in an information rich environment is a condition of learning described as necessary by the research of Brian Cambourne and met by the use of a classroom library. A classroom library also provides ample opportunity for demonstration of how knowledge is actually built from the use of print. A variety of reading levels and genres ensures that there are multiple entry points for students at various stages of reading interest and ability, enhancing the possibilities for engagement. Administrators may expect to see students engaged in several activities simultaneously, taking responsibility for their own learning from a particular text, and actually employed in the tasks of the reading, learning, and responding processes.
In committing resources to building classroom libraries, districts leaders need to consider how to fulfill the need for multiple genres. Plan for purchases from key providers of a specific medium and negotiate the best buying power from a central purchase. In our experiences of building classroom libraries, we found corporate sales representatives who were eager to help us support school reading initiatives. We met their ordering specifications by designing forms for teachers to use, filling in the key information needed by the booksellers to get the books they wanted. We pulled the order together at the district level to maximize our discounted buying power and meet district purchase protocols.
Also important to consider during pre-planning are the roles of school media specialists, reading coaches, technology specialists, and classroom teachers in the purchase and use of classroom libraries. As partners, they can make all the difference in the successful implementation of classroom libraries, but expectations need to be set. Some of the expectations we needed to clarify included:
• We expect some materials to be so thoroughly used that they may need replacing.
• We expect the materials of a classroom library to belong to the school if the teacher takes another assignment.
• We expect that the materials will be made available to students in the classroom.
• We expect simultaneous increased interest and access to materials in the media center.
• We expect instruction and assessment methods to align with the use of multiple sources of information.
• We expect technology support for a variety of access needs in classroom libraries.
At the first teacher workshop preparing teachers for the use of classroom libraries, it is important to introduce the theoretical underpinnings of classroom libraries described above, the instructional practices that accompany the use of classroom libraries, and the curriculum topics teachers can/should use to build classroom libraries. Dick Allington offered us this advice, “I’d suggest considering using curriculum topics rather than themes. Also, consider author studies and genre units. Virtually no teacher, nor publisher, actually uses thematic organization, but topics such as colonial
Kris and I guided the Social Studies and Science teachers in
The collaborative teams feverishly began work on building the first stages of their classroom libraries. Allington advised a three-year timeline, allocating the smallest amount of funding in year 1 and the largest in year 3, after teams had developed more expertise (personal correspondence, 1-27-2006).
Implementation: The Process in Action
Most teachers with whom we’ve worked on classroom libraries have never had the experience of learning through classroom libraries. As teachers try to imagine how a teacher actually manages instruction through a variety of texts, they need a visual to guide them. Kris and I provided this experience for the
To locate books for our classroom library on “Diversity of Life” we searched the Internet and perused the bibliographies of articles and sites. We added several terms to “diversity of life” after we developed a minimal familiarity with the topic. We also looked up the Sunshine Standards and course descriptions for the course. By reviewing those documents we got a sense of what the essential questions and understandings were. As we reviewed literature, we became aware of the issues driving conversations about the diversity of life. We called professionals at
We developed a list of more than thirty titles from these initial inquiries. We checked reviews of each title and identified a reading level for each text using the tools for educators at http://www.lexile.com. The next step we took was into the children’s section at a regional bookstore. We had become familiar enough with the topic by now to look for children’s picture books that might introduce students to complex thinking with basic text. On the way, we found nifty animal identification guides and picture dictionaries of animals. We balanced what were able to gather in 2 weeks with printouts from Websites and articles from current science periodicals. The total cost for the foundations of our classroom library to facilitate discussions on diversity of life was $350.00.
As class began that day, we set the books up through the room and had a brief get acquainted time when the students could walk around to look at the various books. Conversations quickly began over several books and interest was piqued. Students’ seats were arranged in small groups for easy conversations. We began by inviting students to introduce books to which they were particularly drawn, facilitating brief forays into where the book came from and how we discovered it. Each group was then given the opportunity to select books for the “Ten Most Important Words” activity that followed.
Kris facilitated discussions as each group of students selected the 10 most important words or terms associated with the topic. Fifty selections were displayed on posters around the room. The next step was to have the entire class decide, through discussion, what the 10 most important words would be. The teachers gathered in the back of the room couldn’t help but enter into the discussion with the students. Through the discussion, students were building knowledge, the teacher was getting a sense of what students did and did not understand, connections were being made between curricular topics and life beyond the classroom, and students were experiencing diversity.
One student approached me just as the bell rang, “How can I get me one of these books?” A small group stood behind him and peered over his shoulder as he flipped pages from one color frame to the next and awaited an answer, taking one last longing look through the book.
Follow-up: Ongoing Support
After the demonstration, the teachers gathered in another classroom to discuss the observation, devise some ideas for their own practice, and describe how they might evaluate the learning they had observed for their gradebooks.
All in all, we all agreed that this would be a lengthy process we had just begun—selecting the texts for the foundational libraries was an all important first step, but there would be some important changes still to come.
Many students are stuck in old paradigms, just as teachers can be. They just want to know what task is next, “Give me another worksheet.” They are often not experienced in talking deeply about anything. They are not yet aware that the textbook is not the same thing as the curriculum; it is merely a tool to access the curriculum, which is much greater than the textbook. Literature discussion groups may be a bridge, maybe a prerequisite to utilizing classroom libraries or text sets. They can be used as a supplement before going “cold turkey” with no textbook. This practice will begin to acquaint teachers and students alike with the praxis of text choice, text variety, and student-centered, discursive teaching practices.
References
Baumbach, D. (2003). Making the grade: The status of school library media centers in the
Biancarosa, G., & Snow, C. E. (2004). Reading next — A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Rushton, S. P., Eitelgeorge, J., & Zickafoose, R. (2003). Connecting Brian Cambourne’s conditions of learning theory to brain/mind principles: Implications for early childhood educators. Early Childhood Education Journal, 31(1), 11-21.
Daniels, H. (2002). Literature circles: Voices and choice in book clubs and reading groups (2nd ed.).
Lefsky, E. (2004, August 25). Text sets: A tool for teaching reading in every classroom. Retrieved April 13, 2006, from Florida Department of Education Web site: http://info.fldoe.org/justread/04CoachSuccess/TextSets.pdf
Robb, L. (2002). Multiple texts: Multiple opportunities for teaching and learning. Voices from the Middle, 9(4), 28-32.
4. From the FLaRE Library
The following professional resources are available for checkout from the FLaRE library:
Codell, E. R. (2003). How to get your child to love reading.
Donelson, K. L., & Nilsen, A. P. (2005). Literature for today’s young adults (7th ed.).
Fountas,
Harvey, S., & Goudvis. (2000). Strategies that work.
Odean, K. (2001). Great books about things kids love.
Opitz, M. F., & Ford, M. P. (2001). Reaching readers: Flexible & innovative strategies for guided reading.
Robb, L. (2003). Teaching reading in social studies, science, and math.
Trelease, J. (2001). The read-aloud handbook (5th ed.).
5. On-Line Developing/Using Text/Book Sets Resources
FOR-PD’s Reading Strategy of the Month: Text Sets
Florida Online Reading – Professional Development’s February 2006 reading strategy focused on the use of text sets. Topics include rationale, how to use the strategy, assessment, resources, and references.
http://www.interactiveclassroom.com/articles_002.htm
Teaching Strategies: Text Sets
From an Annenberg Media Teaching Multicultural Literature workshop, tips, variations, and benefits of using text sets.
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/workshop4/teaching.html
An Exploration of Text Sets: Supporting All Readers
This ReadWriteThink lesson plan supports readers of a range of abilities and experience through the use of text sets. In this lesson, the class community will put together a collection of text sets on topics of keen interest. They will then explore these texts using three key reading strategies: (1) graffiti boards, (2) browsing for key information, and (3) uninterrupted reading/focused freewriting. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=305
Fact & Fiction: Read Aloud
This article by Sharon Taberski from the March 2001 Instructor discusses the advantage of using paired text sets of fiction and non-fiction as part of primary read alouds.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/newteacher/readers/assessment/factandfiction.htm
Virginia Center for Children’s Books – Text Sets
A listing of almost 100 different text sets created by
http://www.teach.virginia.edu/go/tempo/VCCB/TextSets2/TextSetMain.html
Elementary Text Sets
A listing of text sets divided by grade level (K/1, 2, 3/4, 5, 6) and subject (math, science, social studies).
http://www.csus.edu/indiv/g/gipej/mts/textsets.htm
Science Text Sets: Using Various Genres to Promote Literacy and Inquiry
This reprint from the September 2002 Language Arts provides specific instructional strategies to use with the non-fiction genres mentioned, and illustrates how the formation of a text set can be used to enhance both literacy and science content learning in the classroom
http://falcon.tamucc.edu/~swolff/ENGL3360/LA0801Science.pdf
Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
The books that appear in these lists were selected as outstanding children's science trade books. They were selected by a book review panel appointed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and assembled in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC). Includes lists from 1996 to present.
Using Multilevel Young Adult Literature in Middle School Social Studies
This reprint from the January/February 2000 Social Studies Journal includes a resource list of text sets of literature for a Middle School American History class.
http://www.interactiveclassroom.com/articles_002.htm
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
The books that appear in these annotated book lists were evaluated and selected by a Book Review Committee appointed by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and assembled in cooperation with the CBC. Books selected for this bibliography are written primarily for children in grades K-8. Although the current year’s list is only available to members, archived lists from previous years are free.
http://www.socialstudies.org/resources/notable/
6. News from
Florida Department of Education at HThttp://www.fldoe.org/
Just Read,
TH
7. Upcoming Conferences and Activities
Dates |
June 2006 |
16 - 17 |
Mid-South |
22 - 28 |
American Library Association ( http://www.ala.org/ala/confservices/upcoming/upcomingconferences.htm |
Dates |
July 2006 |
5 - 7 |
National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) 2006 Explore - Dream - Discover |
Dates |
September 2006 |
8 |
International Literacy Day http://www.reading.org/association/meetings/literacy_day.html |
9/27 - 10/5 |
The Fall for the Book Festival |
Dates |
October 2006 |
9/27 - 10/5 |
The Fall for the Book Festival |
4 - 7 |
IRA - 33rd Plains Regional Conference |
13 - 15 |
ASCD 2006 Conference on Teaching and Learning http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.4bf962cfeb89d92abfb3ffdb62108a0c/ |
15 - 17 |
IRA - 25th Southeast Regional Conference http://www.reading.org/association/meetings/25_southeast.html |
15 - 21 |
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2006/trw06.htm |
19 - 22 |
FRA's 44th Annual Conference |
Dates |
November 2006 |
2 - 4 |
NMSA 33rd Annual Conference & Exhibit |
13 - 19 |
Children's Book Week |
14 - 17 |
IRA - 18th West Regional Conference |
16 - 21 |
2006 NCTE Annual Convention The Compleat Teacher: Bringing Together Knowledge, Experience, and Research |
11/29 - 12/2 |
NRC 2006 Annual Conference |
Dates |
December 2006 |
11/29 - 12/2 |
NRC 2006 Annual Conference |
6 - 9 |
ARF 2006 Conference http://www.americanreadingforum.org/conference_information/ConferenceInformation.htm |
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