Turbocharging a Basal
Reading Program: A True Story
Mark Weakland
www.MarkWeaklandLiteracy.com
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2
Think and Write
What percentage of US school
districts use a basal reading
program?
3
Turn and Talk
Why do so many school districts
use a basal (core-reading)
program?
4
Why?
Attempting to leave no child
behind, in a way that was
“scientific and researched-based”,
districts dropped guided reading,
novels, and themes in favor of
core-reading programs
5
All inclusive programs save teachers
and administration time
All inclusive programs contain
“everything you need”
6
If a teacher is very busy, poorly
trained in reading, or new to the
field, basals are easy to launch
and fly
7
Core-reading programs often
come with technical assistance
and professional development;
one neat package
8
Basals are available year after
year
They provide consistency between
grade levels
9
They provide materials, sequence,
stories, etc. for the busy teacher
In the hands of a skillful teacher
who adapts, modifies, and brings
in supplemental materials, corereading programs are somewhat
effective
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
For various
reasons, basals
are used in
most districts.
“Use our core
reading
program and
use it with
fidelity!”
Follow the
manual.
Progressive
practices taught
in higher ed.
Basals are only
somewhat
effective.
“Oh, I could
never teach
reading with a
basal!”
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Think, write, turn and talk
What are the four to five “big
ideas” to teach in any effective
literacy program?
What are the golden threads?
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Hallmarks of Montessori
• Components necessary for a program to be
considered authentically Montessori
include…
Multiage groupings
Peer learning
Uninterrupted blocks of work time
Guided choice of work activity
Specially designed Montessori learning
materials
– Aesthetically pleasing environment
–
–
–
–
–
• American Montessori Society
• http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/Introduction-to-Montessori
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Make it So
Keep Track
Do something! Work steadily to
incorporate a piece at a time. Start
small, but keep the big picture in mind.
Assess regularly, especially in a formative
way. Note student progress or lack thereof.
Jot down notes on what is working and what
isn’t in your program. Reflect on what you
are doing.
The Four Values
THE FOUR VALUES
V1: EXTENDED
READING
Extended reading in
instructional level
and independent
level text
V3: BIG IDEAS of
READING and
WRITING
PA, phonics, fluency,
vocabulary,
comprehension,
spelling and writing
V2: EXTENDED
WRITING
Extended writing in
instructional level and
independent level text
V4: TEACHING CHOPS
(Instructional Expertise)
Powerful teaching techniques
that engage students
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Variations in content and
instruction
“We can’t direct the wind, but we
can adjust the sails.”
15
“The language of [this book] may sound familiar to
you. After all, there’s nothing new under the sun. If
you’re a student of reading instruction and an
aficionado of teacher resource books, you’ll see
that many of my ideas come from the four blocks
and balanced literacy models, readers’ and
writers’ workshops, and Pearson and Gallagher’s
(1983) gradual release of responsibility… [much
comes] from the writings of instructional clinicians,
researchers, and innovators such as Calkins,
Allington, Moats, and Archer. What’s new and
different in Super Core is that my values are
incorporated into the broad structure of a core
reading program.”
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Important point #1
The most effective
teachers are masters
of both content and
instruction.
17
Important point #2
A core-reading
program should not be
your complete reading
program.
Why?
18
For many reasons, publisher-created
programs are not flexible enough,
powerful enough, or motivating
enough to enable all students to
reach important reading benchmarks.
19
Core-reading programs can create an
environment in which reading
teachers become less effective over
time, not more.
20
How can teachers make coreprograms more effective?
Take small steps or take large steps,
but take them year after year.
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Vocabulary
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Vocabulary word selection
• Word selection is critical
• Pick the most useful, highfrequency, academic vocabulary
words from your list
• Beck and McKeown’s Three Tiers
• Other ways of selecting words are
possible (SWIT)
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Three tiers
• Tier I baby, clock, happy
• Tier II coincidence, absurd, reality
• Tier III isotope, lathe, peninsula
•
Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown,
Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304
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Tier Two Words
• Johnny Harrington was a kind master who
treated his servants fairly. He was also a
successful wool merchant, and his
business required that he travel often. In
his absence, his servants would tend to
the fields and cattle and maintain the
upkeep of his mansion. They performed
their duties happily, for they felt fortunate
to have such a benevolent and trusting
master.
•
Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown,
Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304
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Tier Two Words?
• The servants would never comment on this
strange occurrence [finding the kitchen
clean even though none of them were seen
doing the cleaning], each servant hoping
the other had tended to the chores. Never
would they mention the loud noises they'd
hear emerging from the kitchen in the in
middle of the night. Nor would they admit to
pulling the covers under their chins as they
listened to the sound of haunting laughter…
•
Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown,
Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304
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Tier Two Words
• The servants would never comment on this
strange occurrence [finding the kitchen
clean even though none of them were seen
doing the cleaning], each servant hoping
the other had tended to the chores. Never
would they mention the loud noises they'd
hear emerging from the kitchen in the in
middle of the night. Nor would they admit to
pulling the covers under their chins as they
listened to the sound of haunting laughter…
•
Adapted from Choosing Words to Teach by Beck, McKeown,
Kucanhttp://www.readingrockets.org/article/40304
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Put chosen words in base word form
Tend, not tended
–Tending, intend,
superintendent
Emerge, not emerging
–Emerging, emergence,
emergency
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Introduce words with direct
instruction routine
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Emerge
T- “Who knows what emerge means?”
S- “When you get on the highway!”
T- “Get on the highway? Oh, that’s merge!”
T- “The word is emerge. What does that mean?”
S- “Is it like an e-book?”
S- “E- or!”
T- “No, that’s the donkey. OK. Listen, I’ll use it in
a sentence. See if you can figure out what …”
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Emerge
• Emerge means come out of or appear.
• What does emerge mean, everyone?
• Can a chick emerge from an egg, everyone?
• What does the chick do if it emerges?
• Can the sun emerge from the clouds, everyone?
• What else can emerge? And what does it
emerge from? (TPS)
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Vocabulary card method
• Cumulative
• Mastery learning
• Direct instruction
• Model and practice
• Based on body of research
32
torpedo
intelligent
mammal
cartilage
carnivore
predator
fluke
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Vocabulary card activities
• ABC order; read the words
• Point to the word
• Pick up the word
• Closed sort
• Open sort
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Comprehension
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• Yearlong focus on 5-6 strategies
• Model, model, model
• Guided practice
• During shared and guided reading
• Across grade levels and content areas
• Formative assessment
36
Turn and Talk
If you were going to teach 5-6
comprehension strategies
throughout the year, across grade
levels, and across content areas,
which 5-6 would you pick?
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Close Reading
(is the new metacognition)
38
Extended reading and writing
39
Create time by…
• Getting rid of worksheets and practice book
pages
• Doing less summative testing (“selection
tests”, weekly grammar tests, etc.)
• De-emphasizing the anthology story and
related activities
• Doing two things at once: guided reading
groups / independent reading and writing
routines
40
Extended writing
41
Extended writing
• Whole group guided writing
• Independent writing routines
• Modified Writer’s Workshop emphasizing
authentic topics
42
Your Turn: 90-second write
• Write down what’s on your mind
• Write down the people you love
• Write down things you love to do
• Write down things you despise
• Write down things you find interesting
43
Students Grow When They
Write, Write, Write
September, 2013 to March, 2014
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Grammar
45
Teaching Grammar: Step 1
• Teach grammar vocabulary with direct
instruction routine
• Review grammar vocabulary and
formatively assess understanding with
pinch cards
– Or a technology-based class response procedure
46
Pinch card
• Parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective
• Parts of speech: 1, 2, or 3
47
Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives
Limpid
(A) clear, transparent
Limpet
(N) sea snail, mollusk
Dongle
(N) small computer HW
Procrastinate
(V) delay action
Opine
(V) state opinion
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Tense Categories
1 = past
2 = present
3 = future
I will call you tomorrow.
Bring me the ball, Tiny!
The river raged, and Meg watched as
her house floated by.
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Science
1 = carnivore
2 = herbivore
3 = omnivore
caterpillar
black bear
shark
sparrow
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Teaching Grammar: Step 2
• Get rid of worksheets (most or all)
• Teach with knowledge: grammar instruction is
most effective when skills are taught in
conjunction with writing (and reading)
• Brainstorm (think time then out loud)
• Write lists
• Write sentences
• Write paragraphs
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Brainstorm
List
in composition
book
52
Sentence
Write
in composition
book
53
Teaching Grammar: Step 2
• Teach with knowledge: grammar instruction is
most effective when skills are taught in
conjunction with writing (and reading)
54
Spelling
55
Spelling
• Use more word work and writing
• Come up with a logical and organized
system
• Teach how to spell, not what to spell
• Modify your spelling program or come
up with another program! Why?
56
Mark’s 1-Minute Spelling Rant
• The spelling component of some basal series, when
taught with fidelity, is detrimental to the progress of the
struggling readers!
• Emphasis on memorizing, not on spelling
• Scope of program is too wide; too many spellings; too
much attention placed on consonants, not enough
emphasis on vowels
• Scope of lists is too wide; should be narrow and deep.
• Sequence moves too quickly; some young readers/writers
don’t master closed syllable vowels so they end up
glancing and guessing. In turn, they don’t master other
syllable types, either!
• Worksheets are mostly unhelpful busy work
• Not enough word work. Need more of recognizing
patterns, making words, word ladders, look-touch-say,
word hunts, etc.
• Lack of authentic application!
57
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
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Turn and Talk
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
• Which words are not
helpful in teaching
closed / open
syllables?
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
59
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
60
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
handle
simple
gentle
uncle
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
example
throttle
little
middle
saddle
juggle
riddle
table
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
61
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
handle
simple
gentle
uncle
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
example
throttle
little
middle
saddle
juggle
riddle
table
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
62
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
handle
trouble
simple
people
middle
table
little
gentle
saddle
juggle
uncle
riddle
handle
simple
gentle
uncle
example
throttle
obstacle
miracle
muscle
example
throttle
little
middle
saddle
juggle
riddle
table
candle
pimple
mantle
kindle
bundle
cuddle
battle
supple
title
bugle
staple
rifle
maple
noble
bridle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
63
How to Spell, Not What to Spell
sim
gen
kin
bun
un
sad
lit
cud
bat
sup
ta
bu
ma
no
bi
ri
sta
ti
ple
tle
dle
cle
ble
gle
fle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
64
Encoding (spell) / Decode (read)
handle
han. dle
handle
simple
sim. ple
simple
gentle
gen. tle
gentle
uncle
un. cle
uncle
little
lit. tle
little
saddle
sad. dle
saddle
table
tab. le
bridle
ta. ble
table
bri. dle
bridle
Scott Foresman: Third Grade
Unit 2 / Week 1 = closed /open Unit 2 / Week 2 = C+LE
65
Extended reading
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Extended reading
• Create time to read by prioritizing,
getting rid of, rescheduling
• More books; more choices
• Guided reading routine
• Independent reading routines
67
Guided
reading +
independent
reading and
writing
Most of the time!
68
Special projects
• Poetry reading and re-reading for
comprehension, fluency, and
speaking and listening standards
• Wax Museum
69
Poetry Re-Read
A Bug, A Bug
Nuh uh!
Macaroni and Cheese
Wax Museum
•Start with reading of
monologues
•Move to writing of
monologues
•Science, reading, social
studies, etc.
Final thoughts
73
Mark Weakland Literacy
www.markweaklandliteracy.com
EMAIL is best!
mark@markweaklandliteracy.com
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