I really enjoyed reading this chapter. This chapter talked about the importance of making assessment a daily routine for myself as well as my students. This is something that I am learning to do as I implement literature circles in my classroom. When I began thinking about doing literature circles, I was unsure how to go about managing my classroom during this time. After talking with Mrs. Register we talked about having the students completing a reading journal. This allows the students to be held accountable for their time during reading. I feel that this journal could also be used as an assessment tool. For example when we learned about inference, my students were to make inferences from their texts in their reading journals. I was able to go back and read through their journals to check and make sure that they understood what inferring was all about. I was also able to talk to the students about their thoughts they had written in their journals. This reminded me of conferencing. So I began bringing groups of students up to my desk to read. While doing this, I was able to jot down things that i noticed about each student as they read aloud. I was also able to talk with the students about what they read to see if they were comprehending their reading.
The chapter talked about the importance of assessing (or gathering data) and evaluating that data (or analyzing the data). The importance of doing this is so that a teacher can adjust the lessons begin taught to be sure that the students are learning. This is something that I am really working toward. I am learning how to use my assessments to better my students. I have always been one to look at the test grades and reteach content if the class didn't get it, but I'm learning how to do this in reading to benefit my students.
I loved how the chapter had examples questions to probe the students for understanding in conferences. I am a visual learner. I like to have ideas or examples to go by. This part of the chapter really helped me to better understand how a reading conference should go! I also liked the framework for an informal reading conference. This lets me know what i'm missing in my conferences and what I'm doing correctly!
Ashleigh, I'm so glad your literature circles are offering you the opportunity to informally assess your students. The journals are a great way to gather your students' thinking before speaking with them. You can use their entries to drive your conversations and future instruction. It looks to me like you've gathered this as you've moved through this unit. These literature circles were also a great way to incorporate choice into your reading instruction. How have your students responded to being able to read a book they picked out? Are you noticing an improvement in motivation?
ReplyDeleteHi Ashleigh,
ReplyDeleteI saw in your kidwatching study where you were implementing literature circles. This is a collaborative structure that I have enjoyed with my students for the opportunities it provides them to discuss what they are reading and to gain different perspectives. The journal idea is a great way to help students hold their thinking.