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    Putting Books to Work: Fish in a Tree

    by Laren Hammonds
     | Oct 13, 2015

    Fish in a Tree. Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 2015. Penguin.

    Note: Fish in a Tree is the 2015 Global Read Aloud selection.

    Grades: 4–6

    Summary

    Fish in a Tree“Seven schools in seven years, and they’re all the same.”

    Sixth grader Ally works very hard to keep a secret, even landing herself in the principal’s office repeatedly rather than explaining what she’d rather hide. At the start of the novel, Ally doesn’t know that she has dyslexia. All she knows is that letters dance on the page, dark words on white paper make her head ache, and even a simple homework assignment takes hours to complete. Certain that no one can help her, Ally remains silent about her struggle and believes the words she hears from her classmates: “Freak. Dumb. Loser.”    

    When Ally’s teacher Mrs. Hall goes on maternity leave, Mr. Daniels steps in. Dubbing his students “Fantasticos,” Mr. Daniels soon demonstrates his knack for seeing each student’s unique gifts. Though the road is sometimes rocky, Ally begins to trust her new teacher and his offer of help.

    Mr. Daniels shows Ally that she has value in their classroom community, and her confidence increases. Armed with skills to begin coping with her dyslexia, and joined by friends Keisha and Albert, Ally learns that she can not only survive sixth grade but also thrive as she starts to find happiness and “a special Ally-shaped place in the world.”

    Cross-Curricular Connections

    English/language arts, social studies/history, science

    Ideas for Classroom Use

    “My very educated mother just served us nachos.”

    Many of us grew up learning the planets via a mother who served “nine pizzas,” not “nachos.” Pluto may no longer be a planet, but the recent New Horizons fly-by has proven that—like Ally—it may be different but it certainly not less than. Explore this rockstar dwarf planet to gain insight into the fascinating diversity that exists within our solar system.

    “And remember: Great minds don’t think alike.”

    Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Ford, Leonardo Da Vinci, Whoopi Goldberg. Mr. Daniels discusses these figures from history with his students and reveals to them that many believed that they had dyslexia. Research the contributions of these and other great minds who thought differently.

    “How are things? More silver dollar days or wooden nickels?”

    Analyze the use of symbols, comparisons, and allusions. Coins play an important role in Ally’s thinking about each day and connect her to both her brother and grandfather. Alice in Wonderland references abound, and Ally uses frequent “like” comparisons to describe her state of mind. Trace these writer’s moves and their effects throughout the novel.

    “...open up those notebooks now and add your first entry. And make it… you.”

    Mr. Daniels offers his Fantasticos a safe space to write with very few rules and requirements, and these journals also serve as a way for him to communicate with and support his students. Get students started with their own journal writing (or blogging) with some of the following prompts:

    • “Everyone has their own blocks to drag around. And they all feel heavy.”
    • Different isn’t necessarily better or worse.
    • Great minds don’t think alike.
    • What’s your passion? What are your strengths?
    • Albert sees Ally. Who sees you?

    “I see a mind movie of me…”

    We experience this story from Ally’s point of view, with insights into her thoughts, understanding of what she conceals from others, and glimpses at the mind movies that play out in her head. Explore how the story might change if the point of view shifts. Rewrite a scene from another character’s perspective to see how things play out from Keisha’s, Albert’s, Mr. Daniels’s, or even Shay’s point of view.

    Additional Resources and Activities

    Lynda Mullally Hunt’s Official Webpage: The site includes an author bio in addition to an excerpt from Fish in a Tree and information about author Skype sessions and visits.

    The Global Read Aloud Website: “One book to connect the world.” The Global Read Aloud aims to connect students all over the world through the common ground of a shared text, and Fish in a Tree is one of this year’s selections. Platforms for connection include Twitter, Skype, Google Hangouts, Kidblog, Edmodo, and TodaysMeet. Visit the site to learn more about Global Read Aloud activities, and use the Connections Wanted form to find other teachers and classes with whom to connect.

    Overcoming Dyslexia, Finding Passion: Piper Otterbein at TEDxYouth: Like the novel’s main character, Piper Otterbein struggled in elementary school and was diagnosed with dyslexia in middle school. Desiring to move past her frustrations and struggles, Piper focused instead on her strengths, including the arts.

    Thrively: Every student has unique strengths and passions. Online tool Thrively can help students (and us) discover what those strengths and passions are and offer ideas for helping them to thrive. The site’s Strength Assessment is particularly helpful, and the resulting Strength Profile offers guidance for unlocking each child’s potential.

    Laren Hammonds has been a classroom teacher since 2004, working with students in grades 7–12. She currently spends her workdays with eighth graders at Rock Quarry Middle School in Tuscaloosa, AL, and every other moment reading books and seeking out adventures with her preschool son Matthew and husband Erik. A two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, she holds a master’s degree in instructional technology and is currently pursuing National Board Certification. Her professional interests include the intersection of video games and literacy, cross-curricular collaboration in secondary schools, preservice teacher support, and the impact of classroom design on student learning. Find her on Twitter and Instagram.  

     
    Fish in a Tree. Lynda Mullaly Hunt. 2015. Penguin. Note: Fish in a Tree is the 2015 Global Read Aloud selection. Grades: 4–6 Summary “Seven schools in seven years, and they’re all the same.” Sixth grader Ally works very hard to keep a secret,...Read More
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    Reading and Writing: The Slinky Effect

    by Connie Hebert
     | Oct 06, 2015

    ThinkstockPhotos-56381621_x600As I was walking on the beach one day, I found a Slinky toy sitting on the sand. I smiled because I remembered playing with one as a kid. The interesting thing about this toy is that it can’t properly move in or out, up or down, or side to side if any part of its coil is dysfunctional. It can’t operate freely if there are any kinks in its design. As I played with the Slinky, I reflected on how similar it is to the reading–writing process.

    Let’s examine a few kinks that prevent kids from flexibly moving in and out, up and down, and side to side, independently:

    Not enough practice

    As kids learn to read, they must read and write constantly to become better at reading and writing. Without practice, they lack proficiency, confidence, and independence with a variety of genres. Without practice, they struggle to read on or above grade level. Kids need to practice with a Slinky!

    Not enough text levels

    Kids who are learning to read must be taught to read using increasingly difficult text levels. Without the right books, they begin to develop inappropriate behaviors for coping with—and avoiding—texts that are too hard, frustrating, and complex. Without the right books, an incremental staircase on which to learn, practice, reinforce, and master internal strategies, they will not be able to read independently. Kids use a staircase to operate a Slinky!

    Not enough sight words

    Readers must have a strong base of sight words that serve as lifelines while learning to read. Without enough sight words under their belts, kids’ brains have to figure out every word, which slows down the process. What’s the best way to teach kids how to read sight words quickly and accurately? Have kids write them, fast. Kids learn swiftly to manipulate a Slinky, automatically!

    Not enough phonemic awareness and phonics instruction

    The code must be cemented into the brains of young readers in order to decode accurately and read fluently. Without phonemic awareness and phonics instruction, kids lack proficiency with the code needed to read and write. They must know how the code works, which takes knowledge, practice, application, and mastery. There’s no way around it. Kids can’t make the Slinky perform without the coils!

    Not enough background knowledge

    Talk to kids. Read to kids. Write to kids. Ask good questions that encourage kids to think, share, learn, and express themselves. Without enough background knowledge, readers may be able to decode words, but they have difficulty comprehending what they mean. Kids can’t make the Slinky work in different ways if they don’t watch, learn, and interact and experiment with a slinky!

    Not enough daily reading and writing instruction

    Teachers are essential. They are not optional. Kids must be taught by teachers who know how to teach reading and writing. Without daily reading and writing instruction, the process of learning to read and write is difficult, delayed, frustrating, tedious, and self-defeating. A Slinky can’t be easy and fun for kids to play with if it doesn’t come out of the box often!

    In order to read and write with proficiency, accuracy, independence, and confidence, kids must receive the following:

    • Practice
    • Text levels
    • Sight words
    • Phonemic awareness and phonics instruction
    • Background knowledge
    • Daily reading and writing instruction

    So what exactly is The Slinky Factor? If there are any kinks in the coils that make up the system for reading within the brain, kids won’t learn to read properly. How do we identify the kinks? We do this by observing kids read and write, by assessing what they can do and what they need, by using formal and informal assessment data to drive instructional decisions, and by fixing the kink immediately.

    If a kid is not getting enough practice, we should increase the amount of time he or she actually is reading independently, daily. If a kid isn’t being taught using increasingly difficult quality texts, we need to buy more books and use them for instruction. If a kid can’t read common sight words with ease and accuracy, we should increase the amount of time kids read and write until sight words become automatic. If a kid has had limited exposure to letters, sounds, onsets and rhymes, common chunks, oral and written language, and working with words, we should use every resource to teach him or her the code. If a kid has been isolated from books, travel, life experiences, environmental print, and role models, we should plan as many vocabulary activities, book handling opportunities, questioning strategies, literature experiences, and storytelling moments as we possibly can. If a kid is not receiving daily reading and writing instruction, we should ask why not, and fix that—fast.

    When was the last time you played with a Slinky? Maybe it’s time to get one as a reminder of what happens when there are no kinks in the Slinky…and what happens when there are.

    Headshot C. Hebert 2015Connie Hebert is an international literacy consultant and the author of Catch a Falling Reader, Catch a Falling Writer, and The Teachable Minute. She can be contacted at www.conniehebert.com.

     
    As I was walking on the beach one day, I found a Slinky toy sitting on the sand. I smiled because I remembered playing with one as a kid. The interesting thing about this toy is that it can’t properly move in or out, up or down, or side to side...Read More
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    The Argument to Add Global Peace Literacy to The Literacy Dictionary

    By Francisco Gomes de Matos
     | Sep 24, 2015

    shutterstock_210165379_x3001995 is a dual landmark in the history of literacy studies. First, because the International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly the International Reading Association, published the pioneering book The Literacy Dictionary. Second, because the word literacy is used in the book’s title.

    Inspired by the extensive changes in education theory and practice, The Literary Dictionary both defines terms and delves into the social components of language. Intended as a resource for educators, the book is a reference tool that serves to update and expand upon information introduced in its predecessor, published more than a decade earlier.

    This lexicographic resource is significant, as it provides readers with a comprehensive list of 38 representative types of literacy, a full-page essay on literacy by Richard L. Venezky, a two-page entry on literacy, and five entries on specific terms: literacy event, literacy fallacy, literacy gap, literacy involvement, and literacy laboratory.

    If I were asked to update the list of literacy types with an example of a relevant concept, I would make a case for “Global Peace Literacy.” This compound term combines globalization and peace, two challenging, life-changing, life-supporting, life-sustaining forces that characterize humankind’s current educational efforts toward deeper knowledgeability.

    How can Global Peace Literacy be implemented? By engaging literacy educators in initiatives including:

    1. Helping readers/viewers (of all ages) access and make the most of peace-inspiring publications, print or online, in as many languages as possible. In short, creating a world of peace-loving and peace-promoting readers/viewers.

    2. Advocating the inclusion of Global Peace Literacy in K–12 curriculum, along with Global Human Rights Literacy and Global Dignity Literacy.

    3. Supporting the establishment and operation of Global Peace Literacy centers in a variety of public spaces, including schools, places of worship, and other gathering places.

    4. Providing financial support to intraeducational/cultural/intereducational research on Global Peace Literacy as a sustainable commitment to cultivating what I would call LIF PLUS: the life-improving force of peaceful language use.

    5. Recognizing the need for Global Literacy to take a peaceful dimension, given the increasing threat and destruction brought about by terrorism, especially of a cultural nature. In such spirit, a Global Peace Literacy educator would help prepare today’s and tomorrow’s citizens to cope with culturally/communicatively harmful practices and to learn to prevent and overcome violence .

    6. Encouraging education leaders to take part in a sustained campaign for a world in which Global Peace Literacy thrives through communication including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

    In the revised, expanded edition of ILA’s The Literacy Dictionary, perhaps a prominent place will be reserved for Global Peace Literacy.

    Francisco Gomes de Matos is a peace linguist in Recife, Brazil and a word list reviewer for The Literacy Dictionary. He welcomes feedback on his suggested addition.

     
    1995 is a dual landmark in the history of literacy studies. First, because the International Literacy Association (ILA), formerly the International Reading Association, published the pioneering book The Literacy Dictionary. Second, because the...Read More
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    Staying Literacy Strong: A Focus on Phrasing

    By Timothy Rasinski, Valerie Ellery, and Lori Oczkus
     | Sep 22, 2015

    shutterstock_216089584_300pxThink about the students you have who you think are not fluent readers. Chances are these are students who, when reading orally, read in an excessively slow word-by-word manner. Fluency certainly is a concern with these students. However, it is not the only problem that these students exhibit. Reading comprehension is likely to suffer as well. In fact, research has demonstrated a strong association between oral fluency and silent reading comprehension.

    It just makes sense. When students read in that word-by-word manner, they are compromising the meaning of the text. Prepositions such as of and if as well as noun markers such as the and an have limited meaning by themselves. The purpose of such words is to enhance the meaning of the other words in the phrase in which they are placed. We think that phrasing is so important that we feel that the phrase, not the individual word, is the essential unit of meaning when reading.

    Take for example the following phrases:

    • In the ocean
    • Under the ocean
    • Upon the ocean
    • Near an ocean
    • In an ocean

    Each of these phrases have distinctly different meanings even though the meaning of the key word, ocean, is constant. Good readers make meaning by reading in phrases; struggling readers limit meaning by reading word by word.

    Much of what we do instructionally—while well-intended and in many ways quite powerful—may tend to over-emphasize reading in a word-by-word manner. While we acknowledge  activities such as reading word walls, spelling and vocabulary lists, and word games have a legitimate place in our literacy curricula, we wonder about the extent to which such activities give students the unintended notion that reading words as individual units is the appropriate way to read.

    Research and scholarly thought suggest  helping students learn to read in phrases (as opposed to word by word) is an effective way to improve reading fluency as well as comprehension and overall reading proficiency. Yet, interestingly, most instructional programs for teaching reading provide very little support or suggestions to teachers for helping students read more fluently and meaningfully through good phrasing. We hope to remedy this situation by offering a couple simple instructional suggestions for helping students become phrase-proficient in their reading.

    Making phrase boundaries visible—The Phrased Text Lesson

    One of the problems with a focus on phrasing is that, in many cases, phrase boundaries are not physically marked in the texts  our students read. Certainly punctuation such as periods and commas provide some indication of where sentence or phrase units end, however there are many places where phrase boundaries are unmarked.

    One way to help students is to physically take a text and mark the phrase boundaries for students. Below is a common rhyme in which we have marked (usually with a pencil) phrase boundaries. Note that we marked within-sentence phrase boundaries with a single slash and sentence boundaries with a double slash to indicate shorter and longer pause.


    Jack and Jill

    Jack and Jill / went up the hill / to fetch a pail / of water. // Jack fell down / and broke his crown / and Jill came tumbling after. // Up Jack got // and home did trot // as fast as he could caper // to old Dame Dob / who patched his nob / with vinegar and brown paper. //

    Put the marked rhyme on display for all students to see and read and provide each student with an individual copy that will go into their poetry folder. Remind students that the slash marks indicate where they should break the text in the oral reading. Then over the course of a school day, read the text to students while they follow along silently (emphasizing the phrases in your oral reading), read it chorally as a class, and ask individuals and small groups of students to read it at various times, regularly reminding students to attend to the phrase breaks marked in the text. Hope students see  the essential ideas of the text are contained within the phrases.

    On the following day, provide students with the same text without the phrase boundaries.

    Jack and Jill

    Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown, and Jill came tumbling after. Up Jack got, and home did trot, as fast as he could caper, to old Dame Dob, who patched his nob with vinegar and brown paper.

    Repeat the rereadings of the rhyme throughout the day. Help students note they should be pausing when they read, even when the markings are not present. In this way, students will be able to transition from using the visible phrase boundaries to inferring phrases that may not  actually be marked. Regular use of the Phrased Text Lesson will lead students to more fluent and more meaningful reading when reading independently.

    High frequency word phrases

    A common and important instructional goal in the primary grades is to develop students’ sight vocabulary, especially with common or high frequency words such as the, it, and dog. As we noted earlier, high frequency words are often practiced using a word wall in which 10-20 words each week are added to the wall and practiced regularly. In addition to a high frequency word wall, why not also have a high frequency word phrase wall which can also be read and practiced regularly?

    Here are some phrases and short sentences that are made up of words from Edward B. Fry’s first 100 Instant Words:    

    by the water
    Who will make it?
    you and I
    What will they do?
    He called me.
    no way
    one or two
    all day long
    into the water
    It’s about time.

    By practicing phrases that contain high frequency words, your students will be getting important practice on these common words, but at the same time will also be practicing reading these words in phrases and sentences which actually convey meaning. Start with this list of the first 600 instant phrases.

    Certainly, reading fluently with good phrasing is not the only competency we need to help students develop. However, it is an important competency that is often overlooked in instructional programs for reading. Just a small focus on phrased reading in the elementary grades has the potential to pay significant dividends in our students’ development into proficient readers.

    The ideas shared in this article are from the newly released Literacy Strong All Year Long: Powerful Lessons for K-2 by Valerie Ellery, Lori Oczkus, and Timothy Rasinski. The text features 40 lessons explicitly demonstrating a dynamic gradual release of responsibility format. These lessons spiral across the seasons of the year, building literacy essentials that include engaging lessons for phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and motivation.

    Timothy Rasinski, a literacy education professor at Kent State University, is a prolific researcher who has authored more than 150 articles. He is a former co-editor of The Reading Teacher and the Journal of Literacy Research. He is coauthor, with Maureen McLaughlin, of Struggling Readers: Engaging and Teaching in Grades 3–8. Valerie Ellery is as an international literacy consultant, best-selling author, and motivational speaker. Her book, Creating Strategic Readers: Techniques for Supporting Rigorous Literacy Instruction, is currently in its third edition. Lori D. Oczkus is a literacy coach, best-selling author, and popular speaker. She is also the author of Just the Facts! Close Reading and Comprehension of Informational Text.

     
    Think about the students you have who you think are not fluent readers. Chances are these are students who, when reading orally, read in an excessively slow word-by-word manner. Fluency certainly is a concern with these students. However, it is...Read More
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    There's a Lot to Learn Before Classes Begin

    by Julie Scullen
     | Sep 16, 2015

    ThinkstockPhotos-178710954_x600We’re baaaack. Back to school and meeting our students, but what precedes getting your students in their seats can be even more intense.

    That time of year when we gather our courage, take one last look at our backyard in the daylight, and head back to school for Teacher Workshop Week. Veteran teachers come prepared, steeling themselves for the onslaught, but new teachers may have a vastly different experience—one that’s both unsettling and panic inducing.

    For a new teacher, Workshop Week is a little like a sorority or fraternity rush: overwhelming, intimidating, and thrilling all at the same time. You’ve heard a great deal about what to expect, but actually being there is much different. You’ll be exhausted, but have difficulty sleeping. You’ll know both too much and not enough.

    Likely, most new teachers have a similar rush of emotions as they begin their first classroom teaching role. They’re finally getting to be the teacher—something they’ve wanted and dreamed about for four years of college (or longer). Plus, these people are going to pay you! With benefits! For doing what you love!

    And with excitement, anticipation, and a little fanfare, you are thrust into the actual world of teaching.

    Maybe you’ve been able to get into your classroom already, hang a few posters, create a bulletin board, arrange your desk, make seating charts. You’re thinking about the 26 (or 35, or 142) students you’ll have an opportunity to guide, teach, and inspire.

    When Workshop Week begins, your delight of being a teacher deflates a bit under the actual reality of the work ahead.

    In addition to lesson planning and teaching, you’ll be told you need to be perform required assessments (common assessments, progress monitoring assessments, formative assessments, summative assessments, standardized tests) and complete an analysis of the resulting data.

    You’ll need to be on top of culturally responsive teaching practices, differentiation for all learners, intervention practices, extension practices, due process, special education requirements, 504 requirements, brain research, technology, data analysis, data privacy, copyright law, mandatory reporting, mental health screening, lunch duty, playground duty, hall duty, fire drill procedures, tornado procedures, school lockdown procedures, school evacuation procedures, media center procedures, lunchroom procedures, and professional development requirements.
    You’ll need to be trained in technology designed to streamline your work and make communicating easier. The technology requires you to remember passwords for your e-mail, voicemail, classroom website, attendance technology, curriculum tool technology, data storage technology, behavior tracking technology, and of course those detailed online curriculum documents. All these will have different Web addresses, login processes, and passwords.

    You’ll be given district goals, building goals, grade-level or department goals, and be asked to write goals for yourself and your students. There will be new district initiatives, building initiatives, and grade-level and department initiatives.

    You’ll be reintroduced to your principal, the school counselor, your department or grade-level leader, your instructional coach, your paraprofessional, and your collaborative team members. All of these people will have roles you basically understand, however you’ll have little idea what they actually do. You will invariably go to the wrong person with your question.

    You’ll meet the secretary when you get your key, your schedule, and your emergency contact information sheet. You’ll meet the custodian when you find your classroom doesn’t have enough desks, the shelves on your bookshelf are tilted, and the clock doesn’t keep correct time. These people will eventually be your best friends.

    My advice as a veteran?

    Close your eyes and take a deep breath. There are people to help you.

    Write things down. You can’t possibly remember every detail.

    Be kind to yourself. Sleep. Eat. Turn off your computer and take time with loved ones.

    Remember why you are here. To guide. To teach. To inspire.

    All your anxious anticipation, your hard work, and your hopes of making a difference are finally coming true. New teachers, be proud! You’ve made it. You’re here. This is your classroom. This is your new world. Make it the brilliant and confident beginning of your dazzling teaching career.

    Julie Scullen is a former president of the Minnesota Reading Association and Minnesota Secondary Reading Interest Council and is a current member of the International Literacy Association Board of Directors. She taught most of her career in secondary reading intervention classrooms and now serves as teaching and learning specialist for secondary reading in Anoka-Hennepin schools in Minnesota, working with teachers of all content areas to foster literacy achievement. She teaches graduate courses at Hamline University in St. Paul in literacy leadership and coaching, as well as reading assessment and evaluation.

     
    We’re baaaack. Back to school and meeting our students, but what precedes getting your students in their seats can be even more intense. That time of year when we gather our courage, take one last look at our backyard in the daylight, and head...Read More
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