I remember as a student the dreaded end-of-chapter questions that my teachers would assign either in class or as homework to assess content comprehension. Sure, I did them but the content never really "came alive" for me or my classmates. We NEVER "connected" to what we'd read and so answering the questions became a rote task performed ONLY to get a grade.
As I watched the video today illustrating Read,Write and Talk I was sooooo excited and filled with implementation ideas for my classroom that I wanted to shout. Too many adults (teachers and parents alike) underestimate what children are capable of with respect to processing information, verbalizing opinions and questions, and producing well-thought out written summaries. And so, rather than providing children with "developmentally appropriate" informational text that will stimulate, educate, and challenge them, some teachers and parents provide materials that fail to engage them.
Read, Write and Talk consists of (1) setting the stage via engaging the kids, (2) modeling, (3) guided practice, (4) independent practice, and (5) whole group share. Teachers can set the stage and engage students by presenting text on a topic generally of interest to their grade level. Additionally, it's important that students be sitting in close proximity to each other and the teacher (preferably in circle) so they can "turn & talk."
After the teacher has gotten the students' attention, the teacher begins writing down his/her thoughts on the text thereby modeling what the students will be doing. It's important that the teacher explain thoughts verbally while writing them down in or around the margins of the text. Teachers also need to allow students to express their thoughts verbally during the modeling process.
In guided practice, the teacher begins to work with students on helping them write their thoughts on the text that the teacher is modeling from. For independent practice, it's important to have a choice of texts for the students to choose from - - students are more engaged when they are interested in a topic.
"Turn and talk" is utilized throughout the guided and independent practice so students can share ideas and expand their own thinking. Teachers should keep students close so that their comments can be heard and, if necessary, used for identifying students who may need re-teach, etc.
After the teacher has gotten the students' attention, the teacher begins writing down his/her thoughts on the text thereby modeling what the students will be doing. It's important that the teacher explain thoughts verbally while writing them down in or around the margins of the text. Teachers also need to allow students to express their thoughts verbally during the modeling process.
In guided practice, the teacher begins to work with students on helping them write their thoughts on the text that the teacher is modeling from. For independent practice, it's important to have a choice of texts for the students to choose from - - students are more engaged when they are interested in a topic.
"Turn and talk" is utilized throughout the guided and independent practice so students can share ideas and expand their own thinking. Teachers should keep students close so that their comments can be heard and, if necessary, used for identifying students who may need re-teach, etc.
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