Butterflies Galore in Room 11

Our story a few weeks ago was a beautiful piece by Eve Bunting, The Butterfly House. It is a story of a young girl who saves a larva from a bird and how her grandfather teaches her how to care for it. One of the best things I do all year is to buy Painted Lady Butterfly larvae for my students. We purchase it from a company in Wasco called Insect Lore. They provide food for these creatures that are a sometimes less than a centimeter long. As the students know, they eat and grow, eat and grow, and eat and grow more. It is wonderful to see their excitement grow each day as they witness the transformation and life cycle. Last Thursday we returned to the room from lunch and their were two butterflies, hatched from their chrysalis. There went the rest of the day! We had eight by the day's end on Friday only to return Monday to find 23! Oh, my!!! We released them today, fearing rain tomorrow. What a glorious experience for us all. I know this has nothing to do with my project, however there has been lots of reading and writing about this experience. Additionally, it's just too fun and I had to share. Thanks!

When the Original Piece is Unaltered the Students Fare Well

Last week we read Butterfly House, a beautiful piece by Eve Bunting. The difference between browsing in the anthology and browsing through the original authentic text yielded only one difference. My book had an illustration that was reduced in the anthology. From my picture the students noticed that the characters were in the kitchen or dining room. The specific setting wasn't evident in the anthology version.

What I gather from the student observation differences is that when all of the pieces are there the children have the opportunity to predict and gather meaning necessary for them to connect with the text for understanding. When many pieces are missing the students are clearly at a disadvantage. Why would we ever want our students to be at a disadvantage? WHY?

My findings thus far in my project have had a major impact on my teaching practices. One of my colleagues who has implemented the same changes commented to me how surprising her test scores have been. Without teaching vocabulary in isolation has shown to increase her student's vocabulary skills. It is exciting to both of us.

The single most important finding is in comprehension development. The majority of the stories in the anthology are well above grade level. Why are we testing for reading comprehension with stories that are above grade level? What I have found is that students have great listening comprehension and the listening comprehension is evident on the "Friday Test". I am able to teach reading strategies through the read aloud and students are engaged---the proof is in their test scores. Reading comprehension should be at a level where the students are fluent and can read for understanding. I sound as if I am standing on a soap box! :O)

Bottom line, or as I keep hearing on the news, "At the end of the day"---I am pleased with my changes and my findings. Life is good in room 11!

I May Have Found a Quantitative Measure! YAY!!!

While presenting stories to the students in a new way I have struggled with how to measure the different presentations of the story can impact student engagement and understanding. I had an ah-hah moment before school on Monday.

Normally the students browse the first four pages of their anthology (when the piece is fiction) and ask them for clues (characters, genre, setting, author's purpose), problems (unknown words), and wonderings (questions). We performed this process as usual and the students gave good input for me to note on chart paper.

The NEW idea! After the first C/P/W, I pulled out the authentic original picture book of The Paper Crane and showed the students the cover, the title page, and the inside papers. I quickly grabbed a new sheet of chart paper to write down their new comments. I couldn't keep up with the new things they wanted me to post! What a problem! Thank goodness I had my (purchased for Dr. Tracz's class) digital recorder! I grabbed it and walked around the class as the students spoke their comments into the recorder. It was so exciting---truly!

I am pleased that I have good quantitative data to work with! Thrilled, actually! I am seeing how much MORE the original picture book has to offer the children in terms of prediction, questioning, and becoming engaged with the book.

My project is beginning to take focus and the word "beginning" is key. I have decided to postpone the completion of my project into next semester. My advisor, Dr. Alamillo, is supporting my decision---which is encouraging. I slept better last night.

Misplaced Book Presents a Curious Dilemma

This week's story is Mushroom in the Rain.  I own the book, however I cannot locate it. Students have searched high and low, but to no avail. The library copy is checked out and I need it tomorrow.  What is a teacher to do? I think I will work with what I have----the anthology.  I will present the story in the manner in which the publishing company directs. Ugh, it will be difficult to keep it exciting. My students have been engaged with the stories over the past five weeks and test results have been encouraging.  I am curious to see if this week will be any different.  I plan on returning to the presentation, NO PREJUDICE HERE, to compare/contrast.  I will take anecdotal notes during the course of the story this week. Of course I want the children to experience success with the lessons this week, but it would be rather cool if they ask to see the "real" book!  I hope they do.

Is Engagement Increased due to Mrs. Terry's Excitement or the New Method of Introduction?

We completed our Sharing Stories unit and I could not be happier with the outcome. Students did extremely well on the six-week assessment that we are required to administer.  The vocabulary scores were higher than in years past, as was the grammar, usage, and mechanics section of the assessment.  I believe that introducing skills and vocabulary in context has made a huge difference.  

Student interest and engagement has increased and now I wonder if it was because of me or the manner in which the material was presented.  I have taught these same stories and essentially the same lessons for six years straight.  Has the increased interest/engagement been brought about by my excitement of the new practices, or are the new practices so extremely engaging that students are actively involved?  I hope both.  I admit the changes have been a positive change in my instructional practices.  That is a good thing!  Reading the authentic text has brought so much newness to me---- I love it!

We will begin our Kindness unit next week and I have purchased all of the authentic pieces for that unit as well.  I will continue my new practices for the next seven weeks and hopefully will experience the same excitement and engagement of the children.

Sharing Stories ---- Literally

My students and I are wrapping up the unit Sharing Stories. I shared each story with them via the authentic book prior to reading it out of the anthology. The Friday test scores were high each week! Normally the students don't do very well on the beginning tests, but that was not the case this year! I believe the change was made due to the way the students experienced the story. I used the piece as a read aloud during the week. Listening in a relaxed atmosphere without the pressure of maybe she's going to ask me to read. They enjoyed the story, the illustrations, and the multiple reads at various times of the day. I could not be happier with my observations!! I gave a survey to the students and am developing questions for the interviews (of 6 students -- 3 ELLs and 3 EOs). It's beginning to feel real!

I Cannot Believe the Level of Understanding!!

Yesterday, Open Court directed me to blend words out of context, have the children browse the first four pages of the story, and then discuss what clues they read or saw, list unknown words--again out of context, and pose wonderings about the story. Instead, I had the children look at the first four pages of the story and wrote down their clues, problems, and wonderings. Next, I read The Library written by Sarah Stewart.

Before I received my copy in the mail a couple of weeks ago I had never seen the original text. It is beautiful! It is rhyming fiction and the artwork is amazing. Each little stanza is accompanied by a wonderful illustration. I read from the original piece. The dedication stopped me cold! It was dedicated in memory of Mary Elizabeth Brown (the main character is Elizabeth Brown) who had been a reader, a friend, and a librarian. This is never mentioned in the anthology. The children loved the connect and of course asked if she is dead yet. (2nd graders are very curious about who is dead and who is not.) The book is beautiful and with the stanzas being augmented by the lovely illustrations, the children were quite enthralled.

In the past six years that I have worked with this piece in the children's anthology, the children have not clearly received the message of the story. Brown, is an avid reader who lives to read. She ends up with so many books that she donates her home and all of its contents (books) to the town. This year the children GOT it the first time I read it to them. I believe their comprehension of the story was aided by the illustration and text matching. In the anthology half of the pictures have been removed from the story. It was evident that illustrations play a large role in the comprehension of a story. It was amazing!

We read the story using the anthology today, and all of the children wanted to use my book! I have colleague changing up her methods and borrowing my original texts each week! This being the final year with this series, I'll share my used books eagerly!

I could not be happier by what I am witnessing in the classroom, I just wish I could find some more research! I'm plugging along!