Kathleen - Teachers.Net is extremely honored to host Patricia Cunningham tonight. She is a Professor of Education at Wake Forest Univ. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Before becoming a professor, Patricia taught first and fourth grades and remedial reading for over 20 years. In addition to her university teaching, Patricia spends time in classrooms throughout the country working with teachers, children, and administrators. Welcome to Teachers.Net, Patricia Cunningham. Would you like to open with a few words?
Pat - Kathleen, Thank you. This is my first so, as the kids are supposed to, "I'll do my best!"
Kathleen - Pat, if you have read it, what is your reaction to the new, joint position statement by IRA & NAEYC on Learning To Read and Write in a developmentally appropriate way?
Pat - I have not read it but i heard people I respect talking about it and I think they are trying to produce a sensible document. What do you think, Kathleen?
kathleen - Pat, I'd rather concentrate upon your knowledge for now..
Annette - I've read the document and I think it shows good common sense.
Misha/K/IL - I like the idea of just letting Pat talk.
Pat - Misha, but what to talk about?? the problems are complex and everyone's questions are ultimately important. Andrea, I hope the month by month books will help stem the "intensive phonics" frenzy.
Ben - Pat, why is your method better than any other in use at thi time?
Pat - Ben, I guess because it is not a single method. We try hard to give kids 4 different ways to learn each and every day and more children succeed in the end--each block has certain kids for whom it holds great promise.
Dawn - Pat, is there a place for literacy centers in the 4-blocks?
Pat - Dawn, people mean different things by literacy centers. We do have centers and we use them at different times. During writing--some children are in the publishing centers, others in the computers--but centers to keep kids busy while the teacher works with groups is not part of what we do. During the 4 blocks, the teacher works with the kids--various arrangements but writing, self selected reading and words all need the teachers instruction. They are not independent activties.
Sue - Discuss children with learning challenges?
Pat - Sue, in our classrooms, we have "all the children. The schools have a policy of not referring til second grade--when kids have had lots of opportunities to learn, so our 4blocks classrooms here contain "all the children" who come.
Mary K&1 - Pat, how much letter knowledge does a child need before he/she can be successful in the Four Blocks process?
Pat - I assume you mean first grade and we don't assume any. In the first 4-6 weeks of 1st, we do many of the things on the Building Blocks K tape. Then, we begin our 4 blocks and if children still need letter name work, we work on this more in the words block--chanting the names of children in the class, and holding up the letters in Making words. Our kids are on all differnt levels at the beginning of first grade.
janet/k/nj - pat, how would your methods apply to a special ed. kindergarten class?
Pat - Janet, we don't do 4blocks in K--we do what we call building blocks and we don't have K's with all special ed kids so I can't say.
Dawn - Pat, the other teachers on my grade level (1st) do not want to try anything new...how successful do you think I will be if I just do this on my own?
Pat - Dawn, many teachers close their doors and organize like this--it is not really very radical--but you have to consider your position-tenure-administrative support, etc. If you can do it without being hassled, I have confidence it will work for you.
kathleen - Pat, if you haven't covered this: discuss retention in grade due to lag in reading/readiness..is it done in "your" school, if so, what grades, if not, why?
Pat - Kathleen, many years ago children were retained for reading levels--but nationally, results--long term on retention are clear--any other intervention is better. Children are only retained if the teacher can cite other reasons than reading and explain how the child will make average progress next year, less than 1 per class.
sandy - when would you start word wall in Kdg.?
Pat - Sandy, I wouldn't do word wall in K. We do lots of reading, writng and working with words and the more able kids learn the high frequency words. The struggling readers might learn a few but they don't read and write enough to retain them over the summer. The Building blocks video and K book info are on website.
Dawn - Thanks Pat. One thing I am still confused about however...Guided reading is done whole group, not small group? In otherwords, you don't meet with small groups of children (ability grouped) so many times a week for guided reading while the other students are engaged in literacy reinforcement activities elsewhere in the room?
Pat - Dawn, Guided reading is the hardest block to make "multilevel"we do meet with small groups but they change each day and while we meet with them, other children are reading in pairs or individually in various guided reading materials. We provide as much "on level" guided reading as we can in 40 minutes. but, then we give the other "ways to learn to read" equal time. All children do not respond equally well to guided reading--which we see as 1 method our of 4 equally important methods.
Misha/K/IL - I've seen many teachers who put their students names up as the word wall as those names are spotlighted.
Pat - Misha, yes, we do this is K and we begin our first word walls with one "spotlighted" child each day.
janet/k/nj - ok, before i give up on this! pat, if you had to recommend one book to start out with your methods, for a kindergarten special ed class...which would it be? thanks!
Pat - Janet, I would look at the Building Blocks video and the Kindergarten Month By Month--but your pacing would have to differ because we have the whole range of kids.
Anne/K/FL - Pat, do you feel your answer about K's includes high income areas too?
Pat - Anne, Our K's have in some schools mostly suburban kids and these kids almost all learn to read and write with what we do so "yes"
kathleen, - Pat, to what grade levels are the "Making Big Words" books geared?
Pat - Kathleen, it is not so much grade as stage--Making big words is most appropriate when most kids can decode one-syllable words well but have difficulty with big words. Of course, each lesson includes smaller words because some kids in every class still need them. Some third grades could use it. It is used in some 10th grades.
CATHY K/PA - Pat, I'm having a hard time finding, Month by Month in k...where can I purchase it?
Pat - Call IESS-800-6445280 They have them all,
Leah/Susan/In 1/3 - How much time should be spent on each block?
Pat - Leah, Susan, That depends on the class--4blocks assumes that kids need equal time inall four major approaches until they are reading and writing at third grade level. Many schools continue in 4blocks in third to achieve this. If all my kids read at or above third grade level, I would still do all four but not distribute time equally.
janet/k/nj - pat, could you briefly explain the difference between building blocks & kindergarten month by month? thanks
Pat - Janet--Building blocks is a video with clasroom footage. Month by month is a more detailed guide.
Mary K&1 - The Four Blocks seems as though it would help the Reading Recovery Kids accelerate, is this what you have found?
Pat - MaryK, some of our schools have RR and the RR teacher leaders tell us that kids make more rapid progress in RR when they have opportunities to use what they are learning and that 4blocks classrooms give them that. we feel the 2 are very compatible.
Amy - How do you keep reluctant learners interested in the Writing block when they do not feel they are successful writers?
Pat - Amy, the basic premise of 4blocks is that kids will not respond equally to all 4blocks. if kids are reluctant in writing--assuming they can pick topics and share what they write regardless of how well they write, we look to see where they are succeeding. writing is not everyone's thing. Neither is guided or self selected reading--but we expect them to "engage" during some part of each day. If they don't, we worry!
Sheri/1/GA - Pat, I have not been able to find "The Hungry Thing" which you recommend in "Month-by-Month Phonics for 1st." I've been told it is out of print. Do you know where I can find it? Thanks.
Pat - Sheri--Scholastic just brought it back into print within the year. I hope it is not out again. Call them and fuss!!!
Marie - Does anyone know if the IESS phone number mentioned is accessible from Canada?
Pat - Marie, NO, unfortunately. Email me and I will find you another number cunningh@wfu/edu
Kim/Ut/4 - Pat-I am concerned about my reading program. My district has adopted a new basal program and they are wanting us to incorporate it into a "balanced" reading program. Any advice?
Pat - We use all kinds of basals during guided reading--along with other books. But we don't let it become the total reading program.
hazel/3/fl - Pat, our school is going back to Dr. Richard Culyer's strategies, will word walls work in conjuction with that, (that is, if you know who Dr. Culyer is)
Pat - Hazel, actually I know both Richard and Gail. he is quite skill based but most of what he wants to do is either comp or word study. comp is taught during Guided REading and of course, we do phonics during Words. In those days--the program was quite worksheet oriented but I don't think he would be that way now!
Cathy G/AR/2 - If I begin word walls in second, and they did not have them in first, do I begin with the first grade words?
Pat - Cathy, that depends!! Can they spell me, in, it, go, my. Look at both lists and compare to first draft writing samples.
Pat - Karen, we work on everything--somewhere! Word stratgies in Words, Comp stratgeis in guided, coaching kids on all strategies in SSR conferences. We do it all--somewhere!
Ricole - Pat, do you have a second grade curriculum like first and K?
Pat - Ricole, we use the 4blocks in 2nd. We will have a month by month phonics book out this fall. But that cover words block instruction only.
Gwen B - Pat, I will be teaching a multiage grouping K/1/2 in September. Any suggestions for timetabling to ensure I get Guided reading and all of the components of Bal LIteracy program in?
Pat - GwenB, we don't do a lot of multiaging becaue we feel there is enough "multilevelness" within one grade level. I know teachers who do and they say that writing and SSR are easy but Guided REading and Words end up favoring someone.
mm - Pat, do you recommend the 4-6 month by month book for average-smart 3rd graders?
Pat - mm, you would have to look at it--it focuses on polysyllabic words and spelling stratgies. Our classes span the levels so it is hard for me to think about all smart third graders.
locurto - Is there an available speaker to come to schools?
Pat - Locurto, Dottie and I are completely booked since we have real jobs! We do list some people on our website who might be able to come depending on where you are.
Kim/Ut/4 - Pat- would you use Working with Words as a center activity?
Pat - Kim, No, I think the words block needs teacher direction, guidance and imput just like the other three.
Karen/Tx/2 - Pat, for a teacher just starting out in 2nd ... what would you recommend the first book I should use.
Pat - I guess Classrooms that Work gives the most complete overview of a balanced reading program.
kathleen, - Pat, Cheryl Sigmon is coming for a chat on August 11
Pat - Kathleen, that is terrific! She is awesome!
kathleen, - Well, we are pioneers with this technology, Pat Cunningham, thank you for giving up your time for the Teachers.Net community. I hope you will return someday????
Pat - Kathleen, thank you for inviting me! It was a first!!!
Bob R/CA - Thanks for coming Pat!!! :o)
Pat - Thank you All Good Night
kathleen, - Goodnight, everyone, thank you for being here.Visit Patricia Cunningham's site at http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/ for info about her books and video or call IESS at 1-800-644-5280
