Teachers.Net - Archives - 4-Blocks Literacy Model

snoochy - Multi-age grades 1,2,3...Pat, I've been teaching for 30 years. Still love it. The balanced literacy is just what I've needed. My question...are there any studies or people that can help in a multi-age situation. I was with Cheryl in Daytona and she had very little info. The writing, self-selected and word are working great; however, i have too far a range in reading pp1-6.0.
Pat - Snoochy- I have very little experience with multiage classrooms so I can't offer much help. I know that there are a lot of you on the ring so I hope you will support each other. Guided reading is the hardest block to make multilevel--even with one grade. We use lots of curriculum materials--science and ss in guided reading to make time for everything but when you have two or more grade levels not only do you increase the range but the science and ss curricula are different. I am sorry I can't be more help but I hope you will "band together" and solve some of these problems.

Johanna - K-Could you give me some tips for using building blocks in 1/2 day K? It's hard to squeeze everything in. Thanks!
Pat - Johanna, it is always hard to fit it all in. About half the K's in the country have only half a day so you have to do what you can. You might alternate activities by weeks. Do shared reading--and all the activities--with a predictable big book one week and than a predictable chart the next week. You can't expect to do as much in half a day as in a whole day but I would still try to do some of each. I would read to the children and have time for them to "read" their own book every day--even though that SSR time might be just 5 minutes at this time of year. Establishing habits is critical.

Lisa3MO - G.R. focuses on comprehension. Where do you teach skills that are necessary to be taught to meet state standards (sometimes when I'm teaching in the GR I feel like I'm neglecting these objectives)? Where do you deal with teaching the skills mandated for state testing and how is 4block performance-based?
Pat - Lisa, we teach all the skills in the appropriate blocks. Four blocks is not a crurriculum--it doesn't say what you should teach. Rather it says that children learn in a variety of ways and the more ways we make available, the more children will be successful. If the skills are comp--we do them during guided reading. All word skills--including phonics, sight words and spelling are don during the words block. In writing, we teach grammar and conventions. In SSR, we deal with the motivation and engagement skills. Many states and districts have worked to lay out where in the four blocks framework various mandated skills will happen.

MooseGoose - During writing conferences is it necessary to have students correct all mispelled word wall words even if it is something they are not going to publish? We had a disagreement about this at my school.
Pat - I don't know your grade but we usually only conference with children on the one piece they will publish and then we do fix all spelling so that everyone can read it and the author can be proud. Children share pieces they don't publish during their day in author's chair but the conference is usually on a piece they are publishing.

Brian/2/OH - I have been waiting to hear from Staff Development Resources about the seminars they are supposed to be having? I particularly want the November 9 conference in Louisville, KY. Is that still on? To me it seems to be getting terribly close.
Pat - Brian, Dottie and I do SDR conferences and I am not scheduled in Louisville. Dottie, are you? We post our conferences on our website http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks
Dottie - I am going to be in Louisville in Nov for SDR

Beth - First Grade - I would like you to address the use of technology in 4 Blocks. Are there ways that you have seen computers enhance the model? Where might we get more information?
Pat - Beth, computers are just one more tool and they fit the model if they enhance the goals. We do use computers for writing and publishing when we have them. I don't know of any really good phonics or comp programs so it is difficult to incorporate into guided reading--although when we do guided reading related to sci and ss teachers often find good reading material on the web. Reading Rainbow is "old tech" but it is useful to supplement teacher read aloud once in a while and to model how to do a readers chair. So--in brief, we are always on the lookout for good tech programs that will clearly help us meet the goals of each block.

snoochy - 30 minutes of SSR for my very fluent readers seems not near enough. Is there a way to squeeze some time out of another block for them? Which one, if any?
Pat - snoochy, there is never enough time but 30 minutes--particulary at K and l is more than most kids get. We also do everything humanly possible to encourage home reading and the fluent readers do this most readily so I think that with the other blocks you can resst assured that they are getting enough in-school self selected reading time.

Jenny - 4th/Why is it modeled in the intro to the word wall lessons to discuss the possible incorrect spelling of the words? Ex: until, sometimes mistaken to have 2l's. I have found that it confuses some students.
Pat - Jenny, if it confuses them don't do it. what we have found is that by upper grades must children who misspell high frequency words are spelling them in the logical way--will, bill--untill! So, we try to show them that it's logical cut not right. But you are the only one who knows your kids and if they need these ww words at 4th, don't do anything which confuses them more!

choc chip - I think I'm next -- I've never received a very satisfying answer to this question -- I am new to 4 blocks and just don't have alot of resources for the guided reading block. I have many trade books that are single copies and just a few multi-copies of books. I can copy poems and have a couple of reader's theater pieces for that grade level. How can I start incorporating the guided reading block with such limited resources -- and I mean, they are limited!!!! We don't have basals. (I teach a 1st/2nd grade)
Pat - chCh--You have to have things everyone can read and discuss! Do you get some kind of pub like Weekly reader? Do you have some multiple copies that other teachers have that you could pool? Does your librarain or reading resource teacher have multiple copies? If I were truly desparate, I would copy things on transparencies and use them on overheads or rewrite familiar tales--gingerbread man, three pigs, etc. and duplicate. It is very unusual for a school not to have multiple copies of anything--across the school. Also consider the reproducible things many mailringers have mentioned in recent postings. You can run them off and use them. Do you have science or ss books??

Lynn/3/SC - In third we have more focused writing, however I realize that free writing is very important. What porportion should focused vs free writing take in the model? ie, days per week, etc.
Pat - Lynn, you are the one who knows your children and the demands of your curriculum but as a general guideline at 3rd, I would alernate 2 weeks of workshop writing with 2 weeks of focused writing.

MooseGoose - grade 1 - I completed 7 days of training under Cheryl in Indianapolis. They said you stopped adding new word wall words on April 15 because that was when your state testing was. Our state testing (IN) starts next week. We were planning to continue adding new word wall words
Pat - MooseGoose, we stop about a month before school ends so that we can practice all the words there for the last month or so of school. No sense in adding new words with just a few weeks left when the children who have the most trouble learning them need much practice. It has nothing to do with when the test is.

pc - 3/ Our school adopted Rebecca Sitton's Spelling Program can this fit into the word block?
Pat - pc, I haven't actually seen the Sitton program but people tell me it is teaching high frequency words and can fit into the word wall part of the words block.

Sadie/K - I have heard so many wonderful things about 4 blocks (we have just purchased your month-by-month books for all grade levels, our principal requires word walls in every classroom) but my question is really more of a confusion. We have been advocating Guided Reading as a small group instruction block during literacy centers (I am also a Reading Recovery teacher) and so far it has been successful. I know that your Guided Reading block is whole group. How do you meet the varying needs within the classroom? ie... different levels of strategies needed etc.
Pat - Sadie, our guided reading is not whole group--and it is not ability grouped. this is a central question and one this ring has spent a lot of time on. I am a big fan of RR but I don't believe that guided reading is the best way for all children. I suggest that you read Cheryl Sigmon's columns and the teachers guide to the four blocks and consider all the multiple ways that different levels are addressed.

JennyK - 4th- I'd like to implement a writers workshop with my class. They have never had one before and I've never conducted one for 4th grade. Time is extremely limited in the day - what would you suggest is an appropriate time for WW and what ratio for writing/peer editing/conferencing? Also, how important, at this grade level, is a polished final copy for each and every piece?
Pat - JennyK, we do not publish every piece and if children have not done writers workshop until 4th grade I would find 30-40 minutes at least three days a week to fit it in. Publishing is not as important in the beginning as writing and sharing.