Oh Renee!!! The PD you describe is EXACTLY what happens in one of my two schools. The PLC model, once established is the very best PD of all. Yet, there is a reality here that you don't take into account. The PLCs are only as good as the level of knowledge of the experienced teachers and in a school that is challenging the reality is that there are not enough experienced teachers to go around . I think perhaps we need to define what we mean PD and I would say we need a balance. When teachers lack content knowledge, when they come out of college lacking knowledge about best practices, that gap must be filled. Not completely from stand and deliver presentations, but from book studies, coteaching/coaching sessions, done in respectful ways. I think that gets to your idea of implementation. HOW you do workshop is very much the stumbling block and that kind of PD happens best IN the classroom.
I think we need to ask for a definition about Being Wired to Read. I think the research being referred to talks about how kids naturally learn to speak without direct teaching. Reading, however, is not learned by some students without being taught. My experience tells me that phonics is the most efficient way to decode... But some kids just don't learn part to whole. I know adults who learned "look say"... No phonics. Some kids do better with Fernauld method, neurological impress, etc. I think we need to talk about this idea that phonics is the only thing that works and the idea that all struggling readers need more phonics to read. Not all kids reading problems are the same. And, there is research out there that tells us phonics instruction after grade one has no impact on student achievement. Let's keep perspective...compare those studies with others on phonics. >From Speech to Print by Louisa Moats is worth reading. I learned alot. I would >argue that we need to look at a body of research ... Not individual studies >...no single study proves anything. Research provides evidence, not proof >because it is contextual. What worked in the context of a single study may or >may not transfer to other settings. We need to read widely and continue the >conversation with colleagues. We need to watch kids as they learn and be >willing to try other approaches when something isn't working. We need to >continue being thinkers...research readers ... Kid watchers. Thanks to everyone for keeping this hot button topic respectful. Jennifer On Feb 26, 2012, at 11:52 AM, "Renee" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Warning.... this is long, and will appear contrary to some. There is much talk of professional development. I think the best and most effective professional development is teachers talking among themselves about what works in their classrooms. I also believe to my core that teachers can create their own organized ways of teaching phonics, phonemic awareness, etc. and that canned programs are 1. not necessary, 2. upside-down in their fundamental philosophical beliefs, and 3. a lovely way to divert classroom money to publishers. What if teachers were given time to meet every single week for an hour of sharing? I can't imagine any "official" professional development program that could do a better job. Imagine veteran teachers sharing their expertise with new teachers, new teachers sharing new ideas and enthusiasm, and the tweaking of these ideas that could happen under such circumstances. Teachers are not given this time. Instead, they are sent off to the district office or some conference where they often don't want to be, often don't pay that much attention because their thoughts are back in their classrooms, and where much time is wasted on such things as "getting to know each other" openers and a lot of "lecturing to" the teachers. How much time and money are spent/wasted on "professional development" on how to use the teacher's manual? Just imagine the money spent on such PD, money to the presenter and all the substitutes needed (and this is coming from a person who *does* professional development and who *does* substitute, so I'm basically saying I am not needed!). I don't agree that we are not wired to read. I believe that we are wired to see and relate patterns, wired to problem-solve, wired for learning. What I think is that not enough time is spent in classrooms for children to just read. Just simply read. For those who are on their way, let them read and have them talk about it. For those who still aren't doing it on their own, there is nothing more valuable than shared / interactive writing and lots of time to listen to stories. In an ideal world (and yes, I know our world is not ideal), every child would be read to, on someone's lap, with the words in front of him/her. That would put them on the road to "cracking the code." What teachers need, IN MY OPINION, is better professional development on how to run a reader's workshop and writer's workshop that includes tons of interactive writing, opportunities to explore the language in a variety of ways, and plenty of time for independent reading and writing along with individual conferencing with teachers. Amy says, > There are only so many hours in the day. If those of you who > are having success with reader's workshop/ Guided Reading/ and WTW have > insights on how you balance all of this, I'm sure many of us would love > to hear from you. Yes, there are only so many hours in the day. In a classroom where children are spending more time reading and responding to that reading than being fed a program of systematic, explicit phonics instruction, most children will thrive. And yes, there will be those children who will need more specific direction, but it seems to me that the two main issues are time and trust: time for reading and writing for one's own purposes, and trust from the teacher that the child can do it, not without teacher help, but without interference in the process. In my 2nd and 3rd grade and Kindergarten classrooms, I taught all my phonics through the use of poetry, journal writing, interactive writing, independent reading, key words, and a language experience approach. Oh, wait.... I also used those plaid phonics workbooks in 2nd and 3rd grade.... for homework. I didn't give lessons with them... just sent the pages home. Never did I spend time doing Alphafriends, Zoo Phonics, or any other kind of "phonics program." And guess what? No student who entered my 2nd or 3rd grade classroom who was labeled a "non reader" left my classroom without being at least very close to what was considered grade level (which these days seems to have been pushed down to inappropriate developmental levels). And nearly all my kindergarten students were "cracking the code" very well, thank you, by the end of kindergarten. And those who were not were well on their way, as evidenced by their use of phonetic principles and phonemic awareness in their journal writing. In my mind, it isn't professional development in teaching phonics that teachers need, it is professional development in running a constructivist-oriented classroom, with the trust and time it takes to do so, that could help teachers learn to trust that most students can learn to crack that code by reading and writing on their own and then discussing that work with a teacher who can guide them within a print-rich environment that supports and enriches their learning. For me to explain what I did in my readers' and writers' workshop classroom would take about ten emails as long as this one, in order to explain how I used poetry, interactive writing, morning message, students' names, student-written books, reading at home, independent reading, book time, book sharing, literature circles, book chats, independent writing, journal writing, collaborative writing, reading the walls, and other strategies that can only work effectively in a print-rich environment in which students are given their lead and teachers are trusted to do the job. But I know from experience that it works, and works well. My two cents.... or I guess twenty-five cents.... Renee Goularte 3rd grade, 2nd grade, kindergarten, at-risk students, ELL students, GATE students, art students.... On Feb 25, 2012, at 2:48 PM, Amy McGovern wrote: > > Someone on this thread mentioned the need for on-going staff > development > in the area of phonics...I believe that all the elements of > linguistics > (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, English orthography, > language development) work together when we teach reading, writing, > spelling, and speaking. Many of us underestimate both the importance > of > teaching phonics directly to children, especially those who are at > risk > for reading failure, and the challenge of teaching phonics > systematically and explicitly. 'Canned' programs, no matter what we > think of them, help us organize the explicit, systematic part of > phonics > instruction, which is incredibly important for our challenged readers. > That is not a bad thing, in my opinion. > > Having said that, there > is nothing better than a well informed teacher. We need more > professional development explicitly focused on the teaching of phonics, > word study, and spelling. Our universities need to send teachers into > the field with this deep knowledge already in place. How many of us > have received formal instruction on how to successfully teach phonics? > Phonics is often treated as a lesser skill. But > as others have stated, without effortless decoding skills, we can > never > really read for meaning. > > In my school district, I am currently > facilitating a book study on Speech to Print, Language Essentials for > Teachers by Louisa Moats (2nd edition). I highly recommend this book. > As educators we must continue to stretch what we know about the > teaching > of reading, writing, and spelling. In many ways, this means building > our knowledge base. We cannot successfully teach ALL children what we > don't deeply understand. > > We are not wired to read. Cracking > the code is a challenge for at least one-third of the students in any > given classroom. The more we know about how to teach phonics and word > study, the more students will succeed. > > Speech to Print is a > challenging text. My colleagues and I are enjoying the challenge > (pre-k > through 5th grade teachers). We are learning a lot. The book is a > balance of theory and practical application. But it is not a 'how to > book' on phonics and word study by any means. > > In addition, the link below is from the International > Dyslexia Association. The focus of this particular journal is on > Reading Recovery. The articles are very interesting and sight current > research on reading instruction. One of the articles states that > children who receive 15 to 20 minutes of out of context word work, > prior > to their RR lesson, out performed those who did not. I'm > paraphrasing, > but that is the main idea. > > <http://www.onlinedigeditions.com/publication/?m=13959&l=1> > http://www.onlinedigeditions.com/publication/?m=13959&l=1 > > I > had the opportunity to attend the International Dyslexia Associations > national conference in November 2011. It was outstanding. There is > really a wonderful movement pushing forward to merge the best of code > based instruction, with the best of meaning based instruction, > combining > this with the most current research on the brain and how it learns to > read. > > One last comment...Words their Way is certainly research > proven. Moats even includes the Developmental Spelling Inventory in > the > appendix of Speech to Print. However, WTW can be difficult due to > management issues. It's tough to group kids for meaningful small group > reading instruction, then bring another small group together for word > study. There are only so many hours in the day. If those of you who > are having success with reader's workshop/ Guided Reading/ and WTW have > insights on how you balance all of this, I'm sure many of us would love > to hear from you. > > Thanks for reading this. > > Amy McGovern > Educational Consultant > District Literacy Coach > Title I Reading Teacher > Wausau, WI > > > >> From: <mailto:[email protected]> >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> To: <mailto:[email protected]> >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2012 00:52:06 +0000 >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Phonics research.. >> >> Gena... Can you share how you are using it and what PD was given to >> teachers?? >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Feb 24, 2012, at 7:48 PM, "Gena Schuck" >> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> >> wrote: >> >>> I love words their way! My district is very data driven but sold on >>> it!! >>> >>> Blessings, >>> ~Gena~ >>> >>> On Feb 24, 2012, at 2:49 PM, "Palmer, Jennifer" >>> <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>>> I will send the references for this research to the whole list when >>>> I get a minute. In the Meantime, get your hands on Words Their >>>> Way. Run!!! Don't walk! It references many of the studies you need. >>>> >>>> Sent from my iPhone >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> <mailto:[email protected]> >>>> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> <http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/> >>>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >>>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at <http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive> >>>> http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> <mailto:[email protected]> >>> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> <http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/> >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at <http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive> >>> http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive >>> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> <http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/> >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org >> >> Search the MOSAIC archives at <http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive> >> http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive >> > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > <mailto:[email protected]> > [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > <http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org> > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org > > Search the MOSAIC archives at <http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive> > http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to <http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org>http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at <http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive> http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive
