reading workshop & reading log

Students have been divided into small groups. Together they chose the book they'd like to read.  This means everyone is NOT reading the same book except the first time around. We will be reading How to Steal a Dog.

They will read the assigned section of the book (known as "chunks") on their own either at home or at school when they have time to read.

They will meet together once a week (usually Monday) for Book Club to discuss the week's chunk.

They will also meet with the teacher once a week (usually Friday) to discuss their best thinking.

Students will read their assigned book in 4 weeks. They will be given a calendar that shows what to read each day. This Book Club "contract" is kept in their reading binder.  ( The exception is our current book, How to Steal a Dog.)

So, instead of writing the specific reading assignment written on the Listening Post, it is written on this contract. Students will also write the assigned chapters in their agenda for each day. All reading will be done on their own.

On the 5th week everyone will take the Final Thoughts reading test about the book they read.

They will continue to write post-its about their "under the ocean" thinking as they read each night. 

We spent the first trimester reading a book together as a class. This gave lots of opportunity to discuss "under the ocean" thinking together. (More information on this on the Thinking While You Read page.)

You should write at least 2 post-its each night as you read. And make sure it is not just telling the plot. Also, if you just write a brief comment, you might be on the right track. BUT you need to write enough to support your deeper thinking.

DON'T PROCRASTINATE. You will meet with me for a check-in each week so you need to be prepared.

It really helps to have a chance to talk about your thinking. Maybe your mom or dad is reading the book also. That is awesome! It gives you a chance to discuss ideas as you write your post-its. You also have buddies who are in your book club. That means you can talk with them to discuss your ideas.

On the 5th week everyone will take the Final Thoughts reading test about the book they read.

We will continue to write in the Reading Logs. Each night as you read and write post-its, you will write a quick hashtag on the Reading Log calendar Monday through Thursday. This is the same as we did for Island of the Blue Dolphins.

So by the end of the week, everyone should have written at least 6 to 8 post-its, which should still be stuck into the actual book just like before.

It is critical to to think about the Top 4 most important things in the chunk you read. Remember, we practiced this together. This time, you will write the 4 things on the reading log instead of a post-it. 

And remember, no post-its just about the plot. Also, if you only write a short 8 word sentence it might be a "toe in the water" but it doesn't really show your deep thinking.

Also, you will see a section called "This week's focus." We will fill this out on Mondays and it will guide the thinking to concentrate on that week while  reading. 

Some examples are: focus on feelings, focus on character traits, focus on theme.

There is also a section labeled "chunk." This is where the chapters assigned for the week are written. 

Also, when we meet for Partner Check In, I will circle a 1, 2, or 3 for your comments. It will be based on did you or did you not choose the important things in that chunk.

There is also a section called "Think About." This is where I will write comments based on discussions during our Partner Check In sessions. This will help give you ideas about what would be good to talk about during book club.

Finally, there will still be a section for Parent Signatures. This will be checked every Monday.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE NEW READING LOG SHEET IS POSTED BELOW.

ALSO, AN EXAMPLE OF A SAMPLE FILLED OUT READING LOG IS POSTED BELOW.

Every Friday in class, all Ellerbees will choose their 4 best post-its to turn in. They will use the same form that they have already used and are already familiar with this routine.  Under the post-its, they will write what they would like to talk about during their Book Club Meeting. (This is different from before.) This should be what they consider their deepest thinking.  This will be done on Fridays in class.

On the back there is a section called "After we met,  I am thinking..."  This will be filled out on Monday afternoons  in class after they have their book club meetings on Monday. 

Book Club meetings typically happen on Monday afternoons. They will meet to discuss the chunk that they read the PREVIOUS week. 

I will visit each Book Club as they discuss the "chunk," and they will receive individual grades based on what they contribute to the group discussion.

Please refer to the Thinking While Reading website page. If you scroll down, it explains what Under the Ocean post-its should look like.

It also has sample post-its along with notes from me about why it would be graded as a 1, 2, 3, 3+, or 4.

Check the list below that provides some tips. The big idea is that post-its need to be about Under the Ocean ideas. They also need to have enough written down that I can understand your thinking.  Just a few words is not enough.

Post-its need to be about something important.  How can you tell?

Here are some thoughts:

• What if that event disappeared from the book? Would it "crash" the story? If so, it is probably important. If not, it might be interesting but not necessarily important.
• It's something we keep talking about throughout the whole book. That might actually relate to the theme of the book like forgiveness, courage, heroism, facing adversity etc.
• Does it show how a character is changing? Becoming kinder, more brave, or realizing how important honesty is?

Usually Under the Ocean ideas are all about opinions. And we do not all have the same opinion.  So you can actually have deep conversations with someone else about it. But you need to have evidence from the book to support your opinion. You can have different ideas and you can both be right!

If it is Above the Ocean, it is basically a plot thing. So it is true or not true and cannot lead to a discussion. For example, if I ask why did Captain Orlov come to the island, the answer is "to hunt otter."  There is no other correct answer so it is impossible to have a meaningful discussion about it.

When something happens, does it affect the character deeply? Why? For example, When Karana's brother is killed, she is devastated. Her world is now empty and she is plunged into sadness and loneliness. She not only loves him and now has lost him, but her life is changed forever.

Also, something that happens in the story might affect YOUR feelings. You might bring some of your own schema into it. For example, when Tutok leaves the island, Karana is so sad and misses her so much. If you ever had a good friend move away, you have schema to understand that feeling better.

Even though good readers do the following things, do not turn in any post-its that focus on:

• predictions
• visualization
• a question  (UNLESS you follow it with a thoughtful answer.)
• facts or just the plot
• a summary