Ch.1 pp. 15-21 Looking at current literacy initiatives

   I know some posts have already integrated the rest of this chapter, but if you haven't yet posted you may want to comment on the whole chapter here or just part 2.
   Moving students up the ladder of text complexity:  I have always agreed with Allington in that it is not very helpful if students can do higher levels of thinking if they can't read the texts in the first place. It  has to remain a priority in RtII for students reading below level to improve their reading skills/level  in order to be able to move up in text complexity. So phonics instruction will remain important for students who lack the skills needed to read on grade level. But I also think connected text cannot be ignored during RtII.  Their recommendation is right where we have been going-Teachers taking running records of student's work at a gradient of text levels, ascertaining the level of text complexity that the student can handle , and to track student progress up the ladder of text complexity. While I feel proficient in taking running records, determining gradient levels of text complexity (quantitative and qualitative)  is another matter. (One of the reasons I started reading Text Complexity; Raising Rigor in Reading by Fisher, Frey and Lapp!) We need to educate ourselves before we can lead others. I'm anxious to see if the Fountas and Pinnel assessment will be helpful in this way.I'll want to see what they have considered in terms of text complexity in their leveling.
   They also suggest detailing the intellectual work students are doing across grade levels to make sure the same strategies aren't being recycles year after year. I do think some reading strategies are best practice, like metacognition, but they absolutely need to look different at different grade levels.
   While we should not be jumping on every bandwagon labeled CCSS, I think we wild need as a broader staff to examine our anthology and our reading libraries to determine i what areas we need more varied levels of texts for students to read  widely and deeply. What resources including anthology, trade books and digital sources are teachers using to pair together and give students a chance to analyze across texts now?
And then collecting data to try to be sure students get 45 minutes of actual "eyes-on'print"time- I think the texts kids read in RtII should count toward this time, if it is connected text. I think this supports the use of novels and guided reading"SOAR books with word work built into each lesson. (Easier for the reading teachers to do than the tutors, but that's why we almost always take the lowest kids at each grade level for our groups.)
   Of course writing also needs work, but I feel we are further ahead of the game with writing.

Ch. 1, pp.1-14

   The authors make us aware of the many limitations of the CCSS.  One of the quotes that I think will be most helpful in dealing with staff concerns about implementation is " ambivalence cannot be an excuse for not responding for the call to reform that is implicit in the standards."
   The authors remind us that while the CCSS define what students should know and be able to do, they don't tell us how to get there.  We are sensibly urged to look our current initiatives, examine how aligned they are to CC and set goals for improvement from there.  But in the process, we need to consider many things including the student body we serve and the knowledge base and beliefs of the professionals involved. I must admit I find it intimidating and empowering all at the same time to be part of such a challenge.
I look forward to joining all of you in delving into our current literacy initiatives, celebrating what is strong and setting goals to improve the gaps in our curriculum.  Onward literacy soldiers!

Welcome!

Welcome to our book discussion blog! The first book we are reading is Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth and Christopher Lehman. Read Ch.1 and post comments.