Literacy

Meeting 2nd September LIBRARY FUND MEETING! We looked first off at some shelving options for series, and scaffolding them to read further. Discussed current borrowing patterns and Lindsey has said that she knows that it is slow. Jeannie wants to look at the borrowing picture in order to target the needs of the students and see how we have made a difference in reading. Teachers in the Year 7 and 8 homerooms have been making efforts to up the reading and encourage readers. We need to be able to recognise what has been making a difference and what we have done in order to make them. Wayne’s got a survey ready to go about the library reading needs – re the survey that National Library suggested. We looked at how libraries look, and the mix of slopping shelves and other shelves. We do have a lot of students that are reluctant readers. What series do we have and how would we buy more and read and look into this? The money is focusing on fiction and graphic novels. Everything is changing, balancing fiction and non fiction. We discussed E-Books and the access to the intermediate departments. The funding is for the books and the shelves. We would like to spend between $2000-$3000 dollars on shelving. Shelves for sophisticated picture books, graphic novels and fiction. Flat, bins and slopping will be our requirements.
 * Present: Lindsey Burrows; Lisa Watson; Ella Buckle; Jeannie Skinner.**
 * Buying Plan.**

Jeannie is to continue to work with Lindsey on considerations and buying options.

﻿ ﻿10th Feburary 2011 Reading groups/writing and spelling. I have suddenly realised I need to plan for the reading this term, last year we waited to do guided reading till the 2nd term which meant that we had collected information and PAT results for vocab and reading comp and were able to use these also to collaborate what groups we would be tentatively using for reading. This year I need to make a concerted effort to have challanges for the children to meet. I need to break it into steps of knowledge which are needed in order to be able to achieve to the next level and make progress. Reading "Guided Reading for years 5-8" did not offer advice for the grouping which I did not already know. The example is that groupings came as a consequence of previous records of reading ages - not only don't we have this information, but I have been informed that we are moving away from ages and to stages of reading, but this does not help the fact that the journals and reading materials are aged. My groupings therefore will come as a consequence of my observations, asttle information and additionally my better judgement.

Page 20 of the book highlights //good independent tasks// to be achieved when guided reading is occuring. I will includde spelling into this program and will look at integrating further research topic information and collection time to be alloacted. This year from the marks I can already see a need for word studies and spelling or cloze activities due to the level of spelling age according to schonell.

//Deciding the Purpose: P 33 and developing comprehension strategies page 53. // I am finding it difficult to balance how and what strategies am I needing to teach and what purpose should the reading have. This maybe an experience thing, but I am aware of the explicitness of the Mathematics curriculum strategies and knowledge which are useful to help plan teaching - why o why don't we have one for English. I would hate to use token approaches. I taught explicitly last year inferencing and have the teaching of this and recognising this in the texts children are reading successfully. Therefore I aim to put the 15 ideas from both areas into practice and reflect on how I have undertaken them - have an umbrella LI for all students and then teach them to the children with the text level appropriate to them.

I am wanting to use chunk check cheer strategies for spelling and reading for my lower groups and need to get back to the basics of words and ideas in writing. It is difficult to balance and plan for both while collecting anecdotal information - watch this space.

LINKS TO THE RTC: This relates to #6 both i and ii as it shows considerations needed in order to achieve a balanced well informed approach to teaching and learning based on the appropriateness and level of knowledge and understandings I have to date. It identifies that I am drawing on different means of literature relevant to the level of the children I am teaching to inform my planning and practice. 16th December

These items are for inspiration of what I can do to support literacy skills - also a list of things to do that I have considered this evening.

THINGS FOR THE NEW YEAR: Look at National Library for PD in the New Year. Look at Team Solutions for Pd in New Year. Signed up for National Library discussion board. Signed up for booktalks to look maybe get a Author/Illustrators talk with my class this year - felt as though last year we didn't get enough "experts" in to motivate the children and be mentors for them to strive to be like.

Literacy information: Reading - [] **General Activities ** **Primary and Intermediate ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Secondary ** Developing Reading! **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Primary & Intermediate ** **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt;">Secondary ** WEBSITE TO FURTHER LOOK AT ON A REGULAR BASIS - [] [] I need to check if we are a bookcouncil school and if we have the benefits of doing this for the library and the department.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Book reviews - organise for students to present a review of a book or books of their choice in a live radio situation. Many Regional Co-ordinators organise with local radio stations to have children and young adults review finalist books during the New Zealand Post Book Awards celebrations. Contact your local Regional Co-ordinator to arrange this with them.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Design a poster to encourage reading.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Keep a reading journal - notes on character names, ideas for stories, reviews, interesting words or phrases, sketches.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Make a collection of biographies of famous or local people. wWrite and illustrate a biography.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Have pupils write letters to authors and illustrators explaining why they like that person's work.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Read the start of a story and have pupils develop the story, or fill out a character.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Have pupils write a story leading to a given punch-line.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Have pupils write about a photograph of a local event, a sports hero, a visiting band, a natural disaster...
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Invent a class plot and have every pupil write or tell the story in his or her own style.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Tell the same story from different viewpoints - for example, as a baby, a very busy person, a poet, a blind person...
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Paint a photo - enlarge a regular photograph of a group of family or friends and use thick watercolours to paint on special effects such as science-fiction costumes or fantastical backgrounds. Write a story about the illustration.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Take illustration to the next level - have students create 3D artworks based on favourite books. Offer your artwork for display in the local library.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Have a pavement art morning, drawing scenes from books. wHave one pupil illustrate another's story, or invite older pupils to illustrate the stories of younger children.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Find a favourite book where you think the cover does not do justice to the story and design a better cover.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Find a book where the story does not live up to the cover and write a better story.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Hold a quiz focusing on New Zealand books and authors.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Write a poem about enjoying reading.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Paint the library or classroom windows with scenes from books.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Write a communal story or draw a communal mural to illustrate various story scenes.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Create an evolving poem.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Debate the merits of various forms of entertainment or various uses of leisure time, including reading.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Produce a non-fiction book using the skills of various pupils to write the text, take photographs, design the cover, pose for action photographs, index, layout, print, bind, catalogue etc...
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Host a writing or illustrating workshop.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Host a Book Conference to coincide with the New Zealand Post Book Awards celebrations - invite other schools to attend. This could involve workshops, guest speakers etc and conclude with a social event.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Design individual cartoons (analyse other cartoons, discussing ideas that work and why).
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Host theatre-sports with impromptu skits based on finalist titles.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Play 'Consequences' with the starting phrase "I went to the bookshop to buy a book..."
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Start a class lending library - let the pupils take home books to read with their parents. Have them choose a title to take home and explain their choice.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Have the class design and carry out a reading survey among the pupils of another class. Pool the information and see what can be established about reading patterns.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Match authors with titles. Write blurbs for a range of one author's titles.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Look at character names from books. Discuss why authors may have chosen them.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Compare short story, poem and novel writing styles.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Analyse a passage from a finalist title. Look at style, grammar, imagery.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Organise a debate on a controversial book - those who love it defending it against those who hate it.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Debate the importance of reading as a life-skill.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Plan a five minute video using a scene from a book. Choose one angle, decide what is incidental to the plot, what is essential. Draw up a storyboard and write the screenplay, trying to stay true to the style the author intended.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Research an author on-line looking for information about background, genre, and advice for new writers (publisher's websites are often a good place to start).