Inclusion That Works

I like Dylan, Mr. McGuire.  I like him and he likes me.  He's my friend, Mr. McGuire.

Laurelville has inclusion of handicapped students.  In other words, students with disabilities on an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) are mainstreamed into the regular classroom to the greatest extent possible.  I am a strong advocate of inclusion, both for the benefits of student on IEP's, and those in the regular classroom.

This year, there are two students included, with significant special needs.  They join us in homeroom, special classes like art, music, and P.E., and for part of Reading Workshop.  At the end of the first nine weeks, these students have made tremendous progress.  Part of this is due to a teacher's aide, C. Conrad that is motivated to help them to the greatest extent possible.

The real success story here though, is my homeroom.  I have never seen a group of students act so kindly towards classmates in need.  And all of the credit is theirs.  I have never had to tell them to be nice, or to be helpful.  They have just consistently made decisions that demonstrate caring and helpfulness.  I can't even describe how proud I am to be part of their success.

Standing out as a leader is Dylan.  He has a buddy at his side nonstop.  In class, when we come to the circle, at lunch, in the hallway, it doesn't matter.  And, he offers his friendship, keeps him out of trouble, gets him where he needs to go, tries to keep him quiet when he should be, and does it all in the kindest manner possible.  And his only reward, at least 3 or 4 times a day we hear:

I like Dylan Mr. McGuire, and he likes me.  I'm his friend, and he my friend, Mr. McGuire.  He's my buddy, Mr. McGuire.  I like Dylan, and he likes me.

I like Dylan, too!

Keitha Lane, Super Hero

I saw my hero yesterday. She came over from her new job as the Jr. High principal to see the Halloween parade. I had been thinking about her lately as I read aloud to my classes, A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom written by Louis Sachar. This is the story of Bradley Chalkers, a student who makes a disaster out of everything. He meets Carla, the school counselor and with her support, turns his life around. I feel like Keitha Lane was the Carla of Laurelville and for me as a teacher.

It seems funny to think of this short little woman as a super hero, but her impact on the teachers and students at Laurelville during her eight years as principal was amazing. Now, in all honesty, I had never met a boss that I liked too much, before she took on our school. And our start together was rockier than the Rocky Mountains. However, she pushed, pulled, prodded, encouraged and demanded, all while being a friend, and supporting me in my growth as a teacher.

During her time as principal, whenever I had an idea that I wanted to try in the classroom, she would say, "give it a try and we will see how it works." She found funding to go from four computers in my language arts class to twenty-four. She purchased an LCD projector and Doc camera, to use to show students' work. When I first found out about Study Island, the on-line learning program, she said, "let's give it a try." Now it is used throughout the district. It didn't seem to matter what the situation was, she was always about finding new ways to help the students.

As I look back on our time together, I could never thank her enough for the impact she had on my life. And, as I look at my students each day when we come to the circle to talk at the start of each class, my hope is that in some way, I can make a student feel the way she made me feel. I guess, as far as I am concerned, she is the superest of the super heroes.

C'mon Parents, I Need Your Help

I have been pleased with the participation of students this year on The Reading Workshop blog. Their comments have been well-written, with their thoughts, ideas, and opinions shared for all to read. They have posted comments openly and honestly.

I have tried to write regularly, sharing events from the class and our school. I have also tried to share some of the interactions with students that make teaching interesting and challenging. I have tried to respond to some comments, with answers to questions, and discussion of opinions.

Teachers and other visitors jump in and comment occasionally. Nothing makes me happier than to see a teacher share her thoughts and opinions about issues and education in Laurelville.

Now, I need parents to jump in and comment. The purpose of the blog is a three-way conversation between teachers, students, and parents. This is the only format I know of where we can have an open dialogue about school, our class, and issues in education. BUT, for this to happen, we need parents to join us. Please help make this a valuable learning tool for your child. I would be thrilled to read comments from parents on every post. If you are reading, and have a thought, idea, question, comment, or concern, please post it. Let your child, and all of the students from Laurelville know that you are reading, and that their comments have an audience.

I Wanna Quit School

I had a conversation with a student this week about why she wasn't getting her work done. I started out with my usual conversation about getting smarter. I asked her if she wanted to learn and get smarter.

She replied, you just don't get it Mr. McGuire. I wanna quit school. Everyone in my family has quit school. They all dropped out. None of us ever graduate. I just wanna quit and get a job. Besides, I'm not smart anyway. And I'll never be smart. All I ever want to do is get out of school. I couldn't graduate anyway. I'm not smart enough. No one in my family cares either. I am just going to quit school as soon as I can.

Somehow, this made me think (maybe too much time reading about the election) about our country. Here was my speech.

Our country was founded on the belief of everyone's rights for freedom, and opportunity. We have compulsory education so that every kid in America can go to school. No matter where you come from, no matter what your family is like, no matter where you live, you have the right to an education. Our country is set up so you can become anything you want to become. And the first step to a great life is to use this education to better yourself.

Her reply, I don't want to get better. I just want to quit school.

My speech continued:

You must want to learn and to grow and to get smarter. You must want success for yourself. That is what living in the United States is all about. No matter what your life has been so far, you must get smarter and work harder. Use your rights for a free education. Use your rights for freedom of speech. Be the best you can be for yourself.

I can only hope that some how, some way, she will decide to become the first high school graduate in her family, and take advantage of the opportunity we have as citizens of the United States of America.

Word Substitution

We worked collectively to figure out the meaning of a phrase from Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. You can view the entire excerpt here.

This is the phrase we were working on:

I believe the players collectively looked for whoever was able to help the team most on any given night

We discussed that collectively was an adverb which may or may not be needed to understand the essay. I asked two questions:

1. What is the purpose of collectively in the sentence?
2. What word does collectively describe?

We looked at the root word, collect and talked about its meaning. According to Ask.com

1. To bring together in a group or mass; gather.
2. To accumulate as a hobby or for study.
3. To call for and obtain payment of: collect taxes

We decided that collectively tells how the players looked. The challenge when students left class, was to find a word to substitute that was easier to understand, but had the same meaning.

Highlighting is Like Wearing a Bikini

One of the biggest problems when students read nonfiction is deciding what is important. Today's lesson focused on determining what is important and what is not, to understand an essay. Writers add a lot of detail that is not necessary to understand the gist. They use variety in their language through word choice, and sentence structure. Often times they put in entertaining stories or share their opinions to generate reader interest. The challenge with difficult text is to cut through the fluff, or extra details to understand the main points.

OK, by now I am sure you are wondering, what does this have to do with bikinis? When you highlight, you should only cover the essentials. A one piece suit covers things that don't neccessarily matter. A cover-up covers even more, a lot of which is not needed. A big beach towel can be wrapped around and covers everything.

This is just like highlighting. Students' papers usually look like yellow coloring pages when they first learn to highlight. They need to throw away the beach towel, and only highlight the essential information. Think about minimal coverage for maximum effect. Then what is highlighted will help understand what is important.

Talking to Teachers

Student: I have all A's & B's with just one C. I sure wish I could get on the Honor Roll.
Me: What is your C in?
Student: Social Studies
Me: Have you talked to Mrs. Griffey?
Student: No, why?
Me: How do you know what to do to bring up your grade?
Student: I don't. Do you think I should talk to her?
Me: Yes
Student: What do I say?

This conversation today with a student caused me to think about what students don't know about school. Some students know what to say to their teacher, but most will never ask to talk about their grades, or the class. They don't even realize that most teachers welcome a question or concern, if it is done in the right way at the right time. So when? And where?

Guide to Talking to a Teacher

1. Always be respectful and ask for help.

2. Know the problem, and have your questions ready before you talk to the teacher. Write them down.

3. Write a note to the teacher and ask him/her for a meeting to discuss your grades or concerns.

4. Ask the teacher at a time that does not interfere with class, like when you first come in before class starts, or during quiet work time.

5. Take ownership. In other words, admit what you could do better, or what you need to do. Do not make excuses. If you screwed up, say so. Even if you think the teacher or the class is to blame, don't say it. If you take the blame for a problem, you will be much more likely to get help.

6. Be positive. Do not complain. Do not whine. Remember, you are looking for solutions.

7. Write down the teacher's suggestions. Even if you don't like what he says, it may make more sense later and it is the key to a better grade.

8. Thank him for his time. And, if he helps you, write a thank you note afterwards.

9. If you make a promise, follow through. Do what you say you will do. Especially make it a point to do anything he suggests and do it now. If you get an opportunity to do extra credit, or make up an assignment, have it done, and have it done right, when you walk into the class the next time.

The most important point is ASK QUESTIONS! If you don't know, or aren't sure about anything, always ASK QUESTIONS!

I Don't Hate Reading

Many of you read the post on October 8 with the note about I Hate Reading. The student who wrote the note, wanted to comment, but I thought it deserved a post. His new note reads:

To those who left a comment on what I typed I hate reading I do not hate reading. I am the person who typed the comment.

This is quite a change of heart in just a couple of weeks. So, why such a change? Part of this is due to one of the best books ever written for adolescent readers. Drive-by written by Lynne Ewing hooks reluctant readers like no other book I have ever read.

From the publisher:

Jimmy always told me there were only two kinds of gangbangers: Those who were dead and those who were going to die. Joining a gang doesn't make sense to Jimmy..." Jimmy is dead now -- gunned down in front of his little sister, Mina, and his brother, Tito. And Tito is left wondering: Was Jimmy in a gang after all?

As with any student that tries to turn things around, there are several factors involved and this book is only part of the story. What is really happening is a student is making a decision to do better. His attitude has improved. He has decided he wants to get smarter. He is working to learn more, get his work completed, and improve his grade. Much like Bradley Chalkers, in A Boy in the Girls' Bathroom, he wants to do well.

Will he succeed? Only time will tell. But, I am sure proud of the effort he is making to do his best.

Election Brings on Togetherness

With the Presidential election being such a hot topic, naturally students at Laurelville are interested in their teachers' opinions. For the most part, I listen rather than share. BUT, enough already. I thought today was a good day to bring both parties together.

As you can see by the picture, my two colleages, C. Griffey, and C. Bower are celebrating the unity with me that is fast approaching our country. It is great to know that friendships endure, even when opinions differ.

How Fast Do You Read?

Are you a fast and fluent reader? Should you be? Today in Reading Workshop we discussed the pace used when reading. Sometimes even the most fluent reader should s l o w d o w n. Sometimes even the slowest reader should speed up and get through the text. The important thing to know is how to pace yourself depending on your purpose.










If you want to be a better reader, first think about your purpose. Then adjust your reading speed to fit your purpose. Most readers do this, at least to a certain extent, without even thinking about it. In fact, as you become a better reader, you will constantly move back and forth on the continuum, without even being aware that you are making adjustments.

However, with difficult text, it is important to consciously take the time to understand what you are reading. Look at key vocabulary, using context clues to figure out words that you don't know. What part of speech is a word? Maybe it is just an adverb that will not keep you from understanding the sentence, so it can be ignored if you don't understand it. Determine whether a point is a major component of an article, or just a supporting detail. Frequently supporting details are not necessary to understand the gist of the writing.

This decision to slow down, and break down an essay for key concepts and ideas (like finding the W's) will help you become a better reader, improve comprehension, and improve your grades.

Gone, Gone, Gone

Between teacher's inservice days and the Pumpkin Show, I am going to be mighty scarce for the next 10 days. This comes at a time when students have been working hard, but are coming up on a break. Want to know more, check out these posts about the Pumpkin Show , and a past Where Am I?

I will be back on October 22. Many thanks to all who have been reading.

I Hate Reading

The assignment was for students to write a note or letter to me about themselves as a reader. The directions were intentionally vague. I really wanted to hear what students felt about reading.

The student that wrote this note has been working fairly hard this year, with a good attitude. He participates in class. He is friendly to me, though not so much so to peers. He wrote this letter honestly, with no intent to be mean--according to him, these are his true feelings.

So, where do we go from here?

Gary Paulsen Interviewed

For all of you Paulsen fans (of which I am one), have a listen to a great interview. My favorite quote from Paulsen is, "kids should read like wolves eat." Enjoy!

Do You Say Hello?

Emily and Heather, two of my daughters and Jason were talking and as I listened in on their conversation , I heard:

H:  David saw you Thursday at the cafeteria.
E:  He is so nice.
H:  He said he didn't come over and sit beside you because you looked so grouchy.  He thought you were in a bad mood.
E.  I wasn't in a bad mood.
H.  He said he really likes you, but you never speak to him.
E.  I always say hi if he says hi to me.
H.  Do you ever say hi to him first?
E.  Well, no, but I like him and always talk to him when he says hi.

At this point, I couldn't stand it any more and had to butt in.  I asked Em how come she never tries to be a friend to him.  She said, "I really like him a lot.  I just don't usually talk to people first."

How many people limit their friendships?  Emily had no idea that David felt this way.  She was shocked when she found out.  I'll bet she speaks to him the next time she sees him.

As I start to think back on my morning, I wonder, did I miss out on a chance for friendship?  Who did I not speak to?  Who is wondering why I didn't speak?  Are you missing out on a chance to make a friend?  Or to make someone's day? 

Connections when Reading

The process of reading is when a person reads text and their inner voice makes connections between the meaning of the words, and relates it to their life and prior knowledge. The more closely the reader connects to the text, the higher the level of comprehension.

At times connecting is simple. At others, especially when the text is not in an area that the reader has background knowledge, comprehension is difficult. As students build their ability to connect with text, monitor their understanding of a passage, and compare it to things they already know, their ability to understand what they read increases.

Students should concentrate on their inner voice and connections.

1. Visualize. Picture yourself in the story and think about how the setting and characters look.

2. Focus on the characters. Compare them to yourself and people you know.

3. Put yourself in the story and think about how would react, and how you reacted when you were in a similar situation.

4. Look at problems. How do they compare to problems you have faced?

5. Ask yourself questions as you read. Think about how the story relates to your life, and things that you know.

6. When reading nonfiction, think about ways the information relates to what you already know.

7. If you are reading a book, and don't connect with it, ditch it and find one where you can make connections.

Please share a connection you have with a book you are reading.

Zero Tolerance for Errors

This is a new type of zero tolerance set up specifically for Reading Workshop. Students are expected to write without mistakes. Each student has tools available, including a computer with word processing and spell check, a dictionary, online sites like Answers.com and Dictionary.com, peer assistance, and spelling buddies. There really is no reason for writing with mistakes, other than a lack of effort.

Students are expected to use correct punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. When an assignment is turned in with errors, students will redo it until it is correct. Amazingly, in only three days, the writing has improved dramatically. Students have begun to edit with attention to detail. What seemed to be a totally unfair demand, has shown astounding results.
Surely students would not have been trying to slide by with a minimal amount of effort! Once again, students show how they can rise to the level of expectation. With the drastic improvement already, I cannot imagine the quality of writing I can expect in a few weeks. I anxiously await some of the phenomenal pieces of work that will be produced this year in Reading Workshop.

Carnival of Education

The Carnival of Education is at Mathew Needleman’s Creating Lifelong Learners. If you want to read the latest ideas and information in education, this is a great place to start.

Editing Until it's Right

I was reading the NYC Educator's Blog when I came upon this post. He told this story about one of his students.

I looked at the kid's paper, and there wasn't a capital letter on it. This freaked me out a little, since I know for a fact they use them in his native language.

"Didn't your first-grade teacher tell you to use big letters when you start sentences?" I asked, pointing to the first letter of the first paragraph, a plainly lower-case "t."

"Yes, but I forget."

"Well, remember," I said.

15 minutes later I went back, and the kid had corrected only that first letter.

"You want me to do all of them?" he asked.

"Of course," I told him.

He resigned himself to the miserable task. When I came back, he had capitalized the first letter of every line, without regard to where the sentences had begun.

He probably didn't anticipate my being cruel enough to make him rewrite the whole thing. But goshdarn it, it's all part of the learning process.

As students finish up letters today, I wonder how many will turn in papers with simple mistakes, that they know how to correct?

Based on the grades that students have been earning on their weekly WTC (Words that Count) assignment, I imagine there will be some low grades due to lack of effort editing.

Maybe we should take a page from the NCY Educator, and just keep doing it until they are done correctly.

I am Reading. . .

Students, please complete the following in the comments section. Replace the red with information about your SSR book.

I am reading Soldier's Heart written by Gary Paulsen . I have 65 pages before I finish my book. It will take me 4 days to finish.

The best thing about this book is ...

The best thing about this book is how it brought me into it. I feel like I am Charley. When he faces the enemy in battle for the first time, I felt myself tighten up with the anticipation of what was ahead. When the battle is over, and Charley must face his shame, I felt defeated and sad. Paulsen took me through all of the feelings, just as Charley experiences them. In every step of Charley's journey, I could picture myself, in his place, living his life.

Read Aloud to Revise

Kara M. said, "When you go through your essay, you see it like you think it's supposed to be. When you read it aloud, you find the mistakes." Her experience with reading her letter aloud today showed why students learned this writing tool.

As explained in the Reading Workshop Notes:

Reading Aloud to Revise

To revise your content, read an essay aloud. Have the listener alert you at any time when your writing does not make sense, or they have a question. Highlight that part, and after you are finished, go back and rewrite. Then read aloud again to a different person. Repeat the process until your essay is easy to understand and interesting to read.

For this to work, the listener must be actively involved, and not afraid to speak up whenever the essay does not make sense, or has grammatical errors. He must also listen for pauses, and be sure appropriate punctuation is included.

Courage, Do You Have It?

When you are facing something impossible and unknown, do you have the courage to stare it down and succeed? Can you overcome the challenges to be a winner?

The biggest problem facing students that regularly get bad grades is the fear of failure. Bad grades are a habit that is usual and comfortable. No one really expects them to do well. When they do, they get a pat on the back from teachers, who hope it will last, but they don't truly expect it to. Let's face it, a reputation for bad grades is usually earned from lots of assignments either not done at all, or so poorly done that they might as well have not been done.

I think it is interesting how these students that often fail in the classroom, are some of the bravest in the school. They face down bullies with no problem. Teachers and principals constantly punish them, yet they come back every day. Sometimes they go home to situations that would scare any adult. But "doing school" is just too much.

In order to get ahead, students need to know what is holding them back, and leave it behind. What does it take? How do they make this happen? What will give students the courage, judgment and the power to face down their fears until success is a habit.

Monday Morning

Know Any Good Books?

We want to know all about great fictional books! Write a comment about your favorite book. Tell us why you like the book. Or what you think of the book. Make sure to include the title and author of your book.

You can also tell who you would recommend the book to and why you would recommend that book. What happens in your book? Why does it happen? Who is your favorite character?

But, don't give away the ending!

Today's post was written by a guest writer, Lily W. Thanks for the good idea.

Letter Introduction and Conclusion

Students finished their first major writing project last week--a letter about the book they were reading. This was quite a learning process for some, and as we start the second letter this week, students have definite areas that need focus.

One student's letter stood out above all last week because of her introduction and conclusion. In fact, just the wrapping at the beginning and the end was enough to set her letter apart.

Here is Sarah's introduction:
I'm reading a book called Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Akazban. Hopefully I can read all seven books by 8th grade. Have you ever read any of the Harry Potter books? Or read any books by J.K. Rowling? I hope you end up reading some of these books after you read my review.

This sets an upbeat positive tone, introduces the subject, and gets the reader involved in the letter.

Here is Sarah's Conclusion:
I really like this book. It's very different from other books. I highly recommend this book to others because its so easy to understand and read. If you like reading about magic and risking your life to save others, these books are for you. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

Again, there is a positive tone, she wraps up the letter, states the reason for writing, and closes with a thank you for the reader. Great job Sarah B.!!!!

Using a Dictionary & Other Tools

The Head Monkey from Canada posted this as a comment, but I thought maybe it should be posted.

Okay, Ohio Monkeys, how about this one?? I just gave my Canadian Monkeys a vocabulary test today to see where their strengths and weakness are (Gates-MacGinitie). Should I have let them use a dictionary???

To add to this thought, when is it OK to use all of the tools available? When should students show what they know without the help of tools like dictionaries, thesaurus, word processing and other technology, peer help, teacher help . . .?

Smart or Cheating?

Students were at their computer working on Study Island, the online learning program. They were doing a session on context clues. When I walked around the room, I noticed that Jacob was using the computer dictionary. Was this cheating? Or, was he the smartest kid in the whole sixth grade?

This S.I. session focused on using the words and sentences around a word students didn't know, to figure out the meaning of the word. Context Clues are hints that the author gives to help define a difficult or unusual word. The clue may be in the same sentence as the word, or it may be in a preceding or subsequent sentence.


This is an example of a context clue:
The difficulty of the assignment forced the student to work hard to complete the tough task. By reading the sentence, you can figure out the meaning of the word difficulty.


Jacob was doing his best to be successful. In no way was he attempting to cheat. His intention was to get the best score possible on Study Island. But, the whole point of learning about context clues is to better reading comprehension by figuring out the meaning of words without using a dictionary. But, as one student said, "if I use the dictionary I am learning the meaning of a lot of words I don't know."


Should a student be punished for using all of the tools available to get the best score? Should all of the students be encouraged to use the dictionary? What about using Text-to-Speech to read words aloud that they don't know. Although Study Island is mostly a tool for assessment and remediation, if students might learn more using these tools, should they be integrated into the daily routine?

Students won't be allowed to use these tools for the Achievement Test, so should they use them every day in class?

Regardless of the decision about the use of these tools during Study Island, good job to Jacob for being creative, and figuring out the best way possible to get a high score.

Writer's Block

When I have writer's block, I just write some hooey. I just put some words down, knowing that it ain't gonna be to good. What the heck, it's just a first draft, so it don't really matter. First drafts are supposed to suck.

Sometimes I will crank up the music. Sometimes I will read a little, or surf the net. But the main thing I do is just keep trying to get words down. Good, bad, or ugly, I just keep adding a word here, and then a word there until I have a sentence. Before I know it, I have written another post on the blog.

Now, my brilliant young students, I am sure you are asking, "what does this have to do with me and Reading Workshop?"

I have noticed that some of you are sitting there, looking like the keyboard might electrocute you. It won't. I promise. Just put down some words. Any words. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are allowed to not make sense. Go ahead, screw up. We can fix it. If you are not sure about the assignment, ask.

If you are not quite sure, just throw some words out there. Before you know it, the assignment will be done. You will be a success. Your teacher and your parents will be proud. They will smile and tell you that you are wonderful. You will get A's and be on the honor roll. You will win all of the awards.


P.S. Even if all of that doesn't happen, at least you will get the assignment done.

Blog Topics

We were sitting in the circle talking about the Writer's Block post, when Amber asked, "do you ever ask for suggestions about blog topics?"

"Great idea," I replied.

Amber, other students, parents, and teachers, please comment. Give me your ideas. I am especially interested in ideas about reading, books, Reading Workshop, education, and our class at Laurelville. However, I will most certainly consider any topic relevant to what we are doing. In fact, you never know, I might consider any topic, whether relevant or not. So, throw out your ideas. If I use a topic you suggest, you will receive a prize that may be worth millions of dollars.

Reading at Home

Each week students have an assignment to read at home. Students choose a book that they want to read from home, the library, or the book room. The only requirement is that they log the date, title, time read, and pages. Students are responsible for filling out this chart each week as they read, logging both at school and at home. Occasionally, students will have longer than a week when the school schedule is affected by holidays.


Students can choose to earn the grade they want. The more they read, the higher the score. This is the grade scale:

A = 180 + Minutes
B = 120 - 179 Minutes
C = 60 - 119 Minutes
F = 0-59 Minutes

Although students have no direct assignments associated with Read at Home and the Reading Log, many of the activities and projects in class are based on the book they are reading. The recent project of a Dear Mr. McGuire letter is an example. When students write about their book, it is easy to monitor comprehension and see if students are "getting it." The fact that students can pick their book to read helps because they can find a book that interests them.


The emphasis on reading is largely based on the research from Richard Allington. Allington cites four "background factors" associated with why students have difficulty with reading. According to the author:

1. the amount of reading that students do in and out of school was related to reading achievement;
2. children who spend more time on workbook activities versus reading text are more likely to have difficulty reading;
3. children who come from homes where reading is not modeled have difficulty reading; and,
4. students who have difficulty providing details and arguments to support interpretations of what they read have difficulty with reading.

According to the author, time on task is the best predictor for reading success in students. Put simply, more reading is equal to greater academic achievement.

The best part of this system for monitoring reading, and increasing reading time is how students can control their grades. If they are willing to work hard, their grades will show it.

Are You on the Road to Smarter?

I had an interesting conversation with a student yesterday. We were talking about being smart or being dumb. Is it a choice? It seems to me if you make smart choices in school, you will learn and become smarter. If you make dumb choices like not doing your work, not studying, and don't learn, you won't get any smarter.

What do you think? Will making smart choices as a student make a smarter adult? Can you control how smart you are? How much does hard work and responsibility have to do with getting to Smarter. Or, do you just get so much brain power and that is it?

Can you choose the road to Smarter? If you don't choose, do you crash into Dumberville?

What about when you choose the right road, you are getting smarter, and then this happens?



Have you mapped out your road to success? Where are you headed? Do you have a goal of someday living in Smarter? It may just be a rumor, but I heard that the people in Smarter have better jobs, make more money, have nicer houses, and drive newer cars. Anyone know if this is true?

Is Surfing the Net Reading?

"She does spend hours on the internet every day. I would say that this would be the internet generations way of reading," said Shasta Goode.

Thank you for this thought provoking comment that was posted on the Reading Post.

So readers, here are a few questions:

1. Is surfing the net the same as reading a book? How is it alike? Different?

2. Is reading a magazine the same as surfing the net? Reading a book?

3. Is reading nonfiction material posted on the internet a more valuable skill for students as more and more information is digital?

4. Are there different skills needed to read web pages v. reading printed material?

Thanks to S.G. for contributing to the blog with her comment.

Why does Reading Matter?

As we begin a new year in Reading Workshop, the question for this weekend is, "why is reading important?" This is weekend homework for students and their parents. Students must discuss this with either a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle.

I think most people know that reading controls many things we do in life. My hope is that we can have some discussion about how reading impacts our lives as adults, and how it can lead to success for students.

Students can either write out a short overview of their conversation, or post it as a comment.

Welcome Parents

Welcome to The Reading Workshop. I hope you will visit often, and comment about what you read.

This blog serves several functions in Reading Workshop.

1. It is the main communication tool for anyone who wants to know what we are doing in class.

2. Students can share their thoughts, ideas, and opinions, and receive extra credit in language arts by doing so. Check out this post by Shayna--How do You Feel About Reading?

3. Teachers from other classes and other schools read it to see what type of activities we are doing in Reading Workshop.

4. A calendar is posted on the upper left side so students and parents have a handy resource for knowing about events, and homework due dates.

5. The blog serves as a way to keep the history from the past, and you can use it to see some of the types of activities ahead. An example of this is the post about two-person journals.

6. I share my thoughts and opinions for anyone who cares to read them.

7. There are links on most posts to help find more information, or the source of a fact, statement, picture, etc.

8. Students can read and write about themselves and topics that matter to them.

9. And, most importantly, anyone can join us in our class, by posting comments.

So parents, teachers, family, and friends, thank you for visiting. Please join us by commenting about what you see and read.

Responding to a Prompt

In every class, in every subject, throughout their education, students will be required to respond to a prompt or question, especially on tests. They will need to support their answer/position/opinion/idea with details from a text. In sixth grade Reading Workshop, we will spend a lot of time learning how to write a detailed reply that will make sense and score well.

The first prompt focused on the book I am reading aloud, Swear to Howdy.

The questions were:

1. Why did Joey befriend Rusty when he first moved next door?

2. How would your response to a new neighbor be different?


We discussed the need to rewrite the question as a topic sentence. Also, we talked about how a two part question should be a minimum of two paragraphs. Supporting details from the book, and from personal experiences are needed to support the answer.

Below is an essay turned in by James E. that serves as a good example for a beginning sixth grader.

Rusty and Joey became best friends because they were a lot alike. I think they were friends the first day they met because Rusty liked playing with Joey. Rusty thought Joey was playful and adventurous. Joey liked taking Rusty places like fishing and he likes that. Rusty liked having someone to play with.

My response to a new neighbor would be that I might not like him and would not play with him. The new neighbor might not want to do anything I do. I might want to go outside he wouldn't.

Another response to a new neighbor might be that the neighbor and I would like to play together. We might like playing outside with each other. We could ride bikes down the road and have fun. We would play in the woods and become good friends.

James does a good job of turning the questions into topic sentences for each paragraph. He explained his answers by providing details so the reader can understand his points. He might have improved by just picking the one difference and expanding on that, but he does a good job of supporting both parts of the second answer.

Study Island

Students work daily in reading with the online learning program from Study Island. This program is based on the Ohio State Standards. It has lessons that help teach each topic and remediates when students do not pass a topic. Students can do sessions anywhere they have internet access.


Each day a Study Island Student of the Day is chosen from each class. The winners receive an award certificate, a piece of candy,

AND THEY GET THE CHAIR FOR THE DAY!

You can tell by looking at Briann, that when a student gets "The Chair" they spend a day in class living in luxury!







Congratulations to today's Study Island Students of the Day--Breann C., Samantha R., and Jolene M.

Delete Key

Excellent School Rating

Laurelville Elementary received an EXCELLENT rating on the State of Ohio Report Card. Each year, the Ohio Department of Education rates schools based on student performance on Achievement tests. Laurelville's Report is available on the ODE website.

The great news is, based on the number of students passing the Achievement tests, and the growth (in most cases more than a year) shown by our students, we made Adequate Yearly Progress. This is the second year in a row that Laurelville students have exceeded the growth criteria.

Great job to all of the staff and students at Laurelville Elementary for reaching our goal of being rated as an Excellent School!

Success in Jr. High

I saw Trevor S. last night at Texas Roadhouse and it made me realize two things: 1. I miss seeing his big grin, and hearing his stories; 2. There is nothing better for a teacher than hearing about your former students going on and finding success.

I had just finished eating, looked up, and here he came, around the corner. As I talked to him, I found out he is really enjoying the transition to McDowell Jr. High. He likes his classes and most of his new teachers.

I also saw Dillon Y. twice last week, and he said about the same thing. He is feeling great about the new school year and really has plans to do well. I also talked to two other students, and two parents, who all have positive reports about the beginning of Jr. High.

Hearing this makes me feel good about the job all of the Laurelville Elementary staff members are doing to prepare students for their future. Hearing about former students' successes always makes my day.

So former students, stop back and tell me your good news. You can be sure even though you have moved on, we are proud of all you are doing at the Jr. High and at Logan Elm High School.

A Pact in Reading Workshop

"Joey Banks is a walking adventure. He’s funny, daring, mischievous—and frequently in trouble. Or he would be if anyone found out about half the stuff he’s done. But Rusty Cooper knows how to keep a secret. And Joey’s the best friend he’s ever had." This is Teachers @ Random House description of the book, Swear to Howdy, written by Wendelin Van Draanen.

Reading Workshop opened this year with the read aloud of the story of two best friends and their first adventure. Every time Joey and Rusty have an exciting or adventurous undertaking, they make a pact to never tell anyone.

Similarly, we are writing a pact as part of writing workshop. Below is my commitment to Reading Workshop. In class today, students wrote their planned course of action and goals for our class this year. I hope to read a lot of plans for hard work, responsibility, and effort to succeed.

Sixth Grade Reading Pact

Pact

1. A formal agreement, such as one between nations; a treaty.

2. A compact; a bargain.

As the teacher, I agree to do my best to make class interesting, challenging, and worthwhile. There will be times of fun, and times of serious contemplation. I will share my opinions, and ask you for yours. I will start each day new, forgetting bad times and mistakes, but build on successes. I will make mistakes, but will keep trying even when I would rather not.

I will share good books, and expect you to join in on discussions, both written and oral. I will make you a better reader and writer, pushing you to learn all you can learn throughout your sixth grade year. And, most of all, I will do all I can to make this year one you will always remember as the best ever.

Conversation with a Parent

Last night, at Open House a parent came up and asked about the blog. She said, "we bought a new computer so we could get on the blog. Our old computer didn't work that well, and we wanted to be sure that we could always get on."

I doubt if she could even imagine how her comment, and her commitment to her son's education affected me. She has my respect for her effort to be involved with her child, and help make him successful.

As the writer of the blog, I am humbled. I appreciate the time that parents, students, teachers, and friends take to read it. I am thankful for the effort students and parents put forth in reading and commenting. I also feel responsible for making this worthwhile for the reader.

As I drove home last night, I thought about what a great feeling this parent gave to me to start the year. Thank you!

Words that Count

Once they are assigned, students are responsible for WTC and Vocabulary words in all of their writing. They also have writing assignments using the WTC and Vocab words.

Week 1
WTC
Sincerely--I sincerely hope you do well.
because--She ran because she was afraid.
Laurelville--Laurelville Elementary is my favorite school.
write/writing--Please write your first and last name.
right--Did you make the right choice?
your--We went to your house.
you’re--You're allowed to go to the movies.

VOCAB
responsibility--The Reading Log is your responsibility.
strategy--Do you have a strategy for success?
blurb--The blurb tells what the a little bit about the book.
monitor--The teacher monitored your progress.
______________________________________________________________
Week 2
WTC
there--Sit over there.
their--They went to their grandmother's house.
they’re--They're going tonight.
where--Where do you live?
wear--Wear your new coat to school.
we’re--We're going to lunch now.
were--We were late for school.

VOCAB
specific--Be specific when you describe your thoughts.
details--Use details to explain your idea.
memory--My memory is fading.
memoir--We are writing a memoir.

______________________________________________________________
Week 3
WTC
aloud--Read aloud to your partner.
allowed--Are you allowed to go to the game?
very--She is very smart.
vary--The student's ages vary.
peace--She painted a peace sign.
piece--I want a piece of pizza.

VOCAB

revise--Did you revise your letter?
difficult--The job was difficult.
important--Listening in class is important.

______________________________________________________________
Week 4
WTC

through--Walk through that door.
threw--David threw the ball
thought--Jill thought of the answer.
chews--She chews her food with her mouth closed.
choose --Choose a team to join.
wait--Wait for the bell to ring, before switching classes.
weight--His weight is going down.

VOCAB
different--What different types of pizza do you like?
relationship--What is the relationship between the two?
describe--Describe how the boy solved the problem.

______________________________________________________________
Week 5
WTC
since--He has waited since yesterday.
sense--Do you have a sense of humor?
a lot--A lot of times, students spell a lot as one word.
whose--Whose notebook is this?
who’s--Who's packing today?

VOCAB
context--Use context clues to figure out the word.
connect--Connect the pieces together.
connection--What connection do you have?
accomplish--What do you want to accomplish in sixth grade?

______________________________________________________________
Week 6
WTC
lets--My mom lets me go to the movies.
let’s--Let's go to Village Cafe.
usually--Usually we eat breakfast there.
probably--She will probably do her homework.
quite--She was not quite tall enough to ride the ride.
quiet--"Quiet," said the teacher.

VOCAB
gist--The gist is the main point of the essay.
skim--Do you skim for key words?
skimming--We practice skimming in Reading Workshop.
summarize--Summarize the article in two paragraphs.
______________________________________________________________
Week 7
WTC
example--Give an example to support your opinion.
examine--Examine your essay for mistakes.
express--Express your opinion in your journal.
extend--Extend the answer with more details.
feature--The problem is the best feature of the story.
future--Thinking about the future is exciting.

VOCAB
predict--Predict what will happen next.
respond--Respond to the question on the board.
compare--Compare the main character with yourself.
contrast--Contrast the main character with yourself.
______________________________________________________________
Week 8
WTC
possible--Anything is possible.
positive--A positive attitude helps you succeed.
position--Knowing your position in the election is important.
purpose--The purpose of the journal is to share your thoughts.
cause--The cause of the accident was unknown.
continue--Continue to read your SSR book.

VOCAB
emphasize--Emphasize your main point in the essay.
organize--Organize your answer by the sequence events occurred.
instant--It happened in an instant.
indicate--The author indicates his opinion throughout the essay.
______________________________________________________________
Week 9
WTC
accept--Did you accept the gift?
except--Everyone except for one girl was present.
break--Let's take a break.
brake--Put on the brake at the curve.
meet--Meet me after school today.
meat--The meat they served was ham.

VOCAB
quality--The quality of the essay was excellent.
quantity--The quantity of books was more than expected.
audience--The audience listened closely.
attitude--Her attitude was excellent.
______________________________________________________________
Week 10
WTC
straight--Go straight home after school.
strait--The ship went through the strait.
reason--Give three reasons for the delay.
result--The results were different than expected.
react--She reacted with surprise.
report--Report to class immediately after recess.

VOCAB
sequence--Do you know the sequence of events?
sort--Sort out the topics by genre.
select--Select the gist from the choices listed.
selection--Read the selection to your partner.
______________________________________________________________
Week 11
WTC
weather
whether
color
collar
guess
equal

VOCAB
imagine
contain
create
creative
______________________________________________________________
Week 12
WTC
follow
farther
familiar
famous
actually
already

VOCAB
various
variety
evaluate
evaluation
______________________________________________________________
Week 13
WTC
appear
article
arguement
around
built
business

VOCAB
acquire
acqisition
anticipate
develop