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Mary/PA - Welcome to this evening's Reading Recovery Meeting here at Teachers.Net.
Mary/PA - mike, are you a RRT?
mike - i am a reading teacher at a high school
Mary/PA - Oh my! Reading Recovery is for first graders ... a big difference
mike - what is a RRT?
Mary/PA - RRT = Reading Recovery Teacher
mike - Many of my students are at the 3RD Grade level
Mary/PA - Reading Recovery is an intensive early intervention program for first graders who are at high risk of reading and writing failure.
mike - well i guess I'm at the wrong meeting
Mary/PA - You can read more about it here - http://www.readingrecovery.org
Mary/PA - and here - http://connwww.iu5.org/cvelem/RR/index.html
Mary/PA - What were you hoping this meeting would be about?
mike - no idea
Alison - Mary, do you collaborate much with the other first grade teachers in your school?
mike - correct "students"
Mary/PA - Alison, as much as possible...the problem is that only one seems to understand what I'm talking about
linda mci - Hi, joined because I was wondering if there were RR techniques that would work for older students
Alison - I hear you Mary. I have a difficult meeting facing me tomorrow regarding one of my students.
mike - right on linda!
Mary/PA - The other two are still into workbooks and the like...they don't understand reading strategies no matter how much I try to explain them to them
Mary/PA - Well, the strategies that we teach the children to use are the same strategies that all good readers use...older readers would use additional strategies, but we teach the ones that are appropriate for our students at their first grade level
linda mci - I am trying to introduce long vowel patterns and multi syllabic words, but feel I am using too much time.
tyylee - do we have a topic for tonight?
Mary/PA - Alison, tell us about your meeting...why is it going to be difficult?
Mary/PA - Hi tyylee...how's everything?
linda mci - How much time do you allow for think alongs, how much for specific phonic patterns and how much for phonemic awareness?
Mary/PA - No topic...what would you like to discuss?
Alison - My student still doesn't have directionality down in letters, words, or sentences. The teacher is requiring her to do word searchers vertically, horizontally and diagonally (sp?). Principal wants me to explain to her. She's not a real receptive person.
Mary/PA - Last time we talked about selecting a focus
tyylee - At one meeting we talked about making the writing stories longer, has anyone had any luck doing so?
Alison - Oh, my gosh, Mary. That's how I decided I would open my meeting tomorrow with this teacher. Trying to set a focus for the child. LOL
Mary/PA - Oh, I see, Alison...that's going to be difficult...too bad that teacher doesn't get it
Mary/PA - I'm not having much luck with longer stories...my kids' handwriting is still so slow we can't get much done...teachers don't seem to be teaching handwriting much these days
Emma - I prompt for more details to encourage students to write longer, more interesting stories.
Alison - Mary, this is off topic, but how do you make those faces.
tyylee - Mary, is there a 'list' of focus topics somewhere? A list to think about when contemplating a particular child might be useful
Mary/PA - Alison, that would be a very good place to start...until this child gets her directionality down solid...she should only be asked to do everything in the proper direction
Mary/PA - going in different directions will keep her confused
Alison - Tyylee, that is a good question, I've wondered too.
Emma - Did anyone attend the Literacy for All conference in RI?
Gigi/MO - Hello, everyone!! I finally made it!! It was hard to pick an unused color!! This orange is pretty bright for ME!!
Mary/PA - To make the faces, look in the sidebar at the left of this page...see the question mark...right click on it and select to open it in a new page....there you will see how to make the faces
tyylee - I know all necessary information can be found in the guide book but sometimes a simpler list is good for easy reference.
Mary/PA - tyylee, our TL gave us a list... and we have discussed them a lot...I can't think of a list I can send you to right now
Mary/PA - Hi Gigi
Mary/PA - Emma, I didn't go
Gigi/MO - Hi, Mary!! Does Literacy For All tie into RR/EL?
alison - Thanks, Mary
Mary/PA - Gigi, I don't know....what "Literacy for All" are you talking about...there seems to be more than one use for that phrase
tyylee - Mary, what week and what level are your children on?
Emma - The Literacy for All conference was presented by Lesley College and RR , primary level , Title One teachers from all over the country attended. Marie Clay was one of the keynote speakers.
Gigi/MO - Welcome back, alison, Emma, and Sandy!! I was just asking about the one that someone in here asked if anyone had gone to the Literacy for All conference in RI?!?!
tyylee - My children are on week 11 and in Levels 5 and 6. That seems a little low to me as compared to successful children from past years.
Mary/PA - tyylee, I started week 10 today...I have one student in level 10, two in 9, 3 in 7, one in 6 and one in one
alison - My children are on week 9 and 10, levels 4 and 5, one on 3
Mary/PA - The one in level one is apraxic and needs to be in a different program, but his parents won't agree to testing
Gigi/MO - I just started week 12 and I have 3 students on level 7 and 1 on level 3-4!!
tyylee - I hope to move two to level 7 and one to level 6 by the end of the week. One is still not looking closely at print and could care less!!
Mary/PA - Oh, that "Literacy for All conference" I bet it was good
Mary/PA - Getting them to monitor is difficult at times.
Gigi/MO - Emma-That conference sounds good but I'm a LONG way from there!!
alison - All, but one of my students will start to accelerate very soon. It's exciting to see them on the verge.
Gigi/MO - tyylee-I know what you mean about not looking CLOSELY at print or caring!! I have one just the same way!!
Emma - It was wonderful to have the opportunity to attend. Marie Clay spoke about the importance of structure and the need for RR teachers to have students notice the structure of books during book intros.
Mary/PA - To get the children to monitor do you ask them to locate known words before reading a page?
Gigi/MO - Emma--Thanks for the reminder!!
Mary/PA - Do you tell them to make everything look right? at the beginning, middle and end?
Gigi/MO - Mary--I often have them predict (What would you see at the beg. of _______) and then locate that word!! Hope this makes sense!!
Emma - One of the presenters at the conference suggested that RR teachers do parts of the observation survey with students who are reading at level 5. You want to make sure there aren't any gaps before you move the child to level 6, where there is a real shift in the text structure and vocabulary. Has anyone heard this suggestion before?
Mary/PA - That makes sense. I'm thinking about other things we can do as well to promote monitoring
alison - Emma, parts of the OS or the whole thing?
Mary/PA - Emma, I haven't been told that before. What parts of the OS would be given at that time?
Gigi/MO - I've heard of giving the OS again but not sure at what level!?!
Emma - The CAP, Dictation and do an unseen text level reading.
Mary/PA - I've heard about doing the OS again after RAK if you weren't the teacher who gave it in the beginning
Emma - Again, you are making sure there are no gaps in the child's learning so far.
alison - Our TL asks us to give the OS at the end of week 10.
Emma - It was a suggestion that seemed to make sense to me.
Mary/PA - alison, the whole thing?
Mary/PA - Emma, that does make sense to me as well.
alison - Yes, pretty much. We don't have to go below 90% on text level.
Gigi/MO - When you give the OS during lessons, do you write OS on the attendance sheet for those days that it is given!?!
alison - We have to try to give the OS during some other time, rather than during lessons.
Mary/PA - I would worry about using the OS texts that we have to use...in the event that it doesn't go well, they will need to be tested again later...I'd hate to run out of testing texts... I'd like to have a list a alternative testing texts
Gigi/MO - alison--Oh, I see!! Thanks!!
Mary/PA - alison, that would be difficult...my schedule is so full, there is no extra time anywhere
Emma - Scott FOresman does have a list of alternative tests.
alison - Maybe that's why she doesn't ask us to go below 90%. I know,Mary, it is hard to find the time.
Mary/PA - Emma, could you send me the information about the alternatives? I searched through their catalog a couldn't even find the regular testing booklets
Emma - Our school uses the Rigby Benchmark kit for RR assessments in the primary grades.
Mary/PA - my e-mail address is mary@teachers.net
Emma - Sure, my TL gave me the alternative tests along with the regular texts during my training year. I could send you a list of the titles.
Gigi/MO - I also have and use and alternative list!! The alternative level 12 (I think) is called Everybody In and it is a lot easier than the regular one!!
Mary/PA - Emma, I think I have what you are talking about...there are no alternatives for levels 1 - 9, right?
Gigi/MO - Emma--We also use the Rigby Benchmark kit!! We really like it!!
Mary/PA - Yes, we are told not to use that one Gigi
Mary/PA - I'll look into getting that Rigby kit...thanks for the suggestion
Emma - It's so user friendly and I feel the text levels are right on.
Gigi/MO - Mary--Really?!?
Mary/PA - May I have your attention please!!!
Mary/PA - What topic would you all like for our next meeting?
Mary/PA - Gigi, really what? I'm lost here
Emma - Yes, Mary.
Gigi/MO - I'm going Behind The Glass in 2 weeks so I'm sorry but I won't be here!! Wish me luck!!
Emma - How about suggestions on how to work with hard to accelerate students.
Mary/PA - Oh, good luck to you Gigi! Don't you just hate the worry of it all?
Gigi/MO - Mary--Really that you are told NOT to use Everybody In!?!
Mary/PA - Emma that's a good topic. We are having a cluster visit about it in Dec.
Mary/PA - Gigi, yes, really
alison - Mary, what's a cluster visit?
Emma - What a coincidence - our group is discussing this topic at the end of this month.
Mary/PA - It seems to be mis-leveled. It throws the data off.
Mary/PA - In addition to continuing contact, we are required to have cluster visits. These are when a group of teachers get together at another teacher's school to observe a lesson and to discuss a topic
Emma - How long have you been a RRT, Mary?
alison - Oh, this is just my second year in RR. I haven't heard about cluster visits. I wonder if we will do them. Oh, no! Everyone will want to come here. I live on an island!
Gigi/MO - Mary--Yeah, kinda!! Especially since my partner and I just went last April and didn't think we were going to HAVE to do it this WHOLE year!! Bless my partner's heart--she has a student that she WANTS to take BTG!! He is her all-time lowest RR student in her 7 year history!! I thought if she was going, it would look bad if I didn't, SO I'm going TOO!! I'm NOT taking my lowest one, though!! I did that to get help last year and ended up in tears AFTER the lesson!! I WON'T do that again!!
Mary/PA - I think that the most difficult aspect of helping the Hard to Accelerate child is in determining exactly what is holding the child back. It seems that it is not always what is seems to be.
Emma - Which island do you live on, Alison?
Mary/PA - Oh Gigi, I'm so sorry that you had a difficult time. You are so brave to go again.
alison - Oh, Gigi. That's my biggest fear.
Mary/PA - Yes, alison, what island do you live on?
Mary/PA - Emma, I've been teaching RR for 10 years
Mary/PA - I'm going to get the hang of it pretty soon
Gigi/MO - It wasn't really because of what anyone said!! i just didn't feel very good after the lesson was over!! She was my hardest student at the time and I thought that I could get some help for both of us!! She didn't discontinue last year and is still below grade level BUT IS HOLDING HER OWN IN 2ND GRADE!! YEAH!!
Mary/PA - That's good news, Gigi...that she is holding her own.
Emma - This is my 3rd year and somehow I feel like it's my first. I guess it's because I'm teaching at a new school and I've had some difficulty getting used to the work environment. It's an open concept school. Has anyone taught in such a school?
Gigi/MO - Emma--I'm not sure what an open concept school is!?!
alison - Oh, Emma. I've done that years ago. It can be quite a challenge. I didn't think they used the open concept anymore.
Mary/PA - Not me
Mary/PA - Emma was it built in the 70's?
Emma - Yes, and there are very few walls in the interior of the school. Most classrooms are separated by 5 foot high partitions. The noise is unbearable. Especially, when you are trying to teach children to read.
Mary/PA - I'm in the exact opposite. I teach in a closet...a big closet, but a closet none the less. No windows!
alison - Emma, you have my utmost sympathies. The school I taught in eventually put up walls and then ceilings.
Gigi/MO - Emma--I taught in a school that had pods similar to what you are talking about!?! There were 4 classrooms together but separated by walls but yet you could hear over them!! It is rather interesting and noisy!!
Mary/PA - The noise would drive me up a wall, but then you don't have any walls to drive up, do you
Emma - The school I used to teach at was closed due to toxic mold issues last year. At least it had 4 walled rooms! I've now led us off topic... Thanks for your sympathy. I must sign off. Where I'm from it's 10pm. Good night all...
alison - Thanks everyone. I must go now. Good night.
Gigi/MO - Night, Emma!!
Mary/PA - 10:09 here. I must log off too
Mary/PA - Thanks for coming this evening...it's been great as usual!
Gigi/MO - Night, everyone!! Talk to you in a month since I will be BTG in 2 weeks!! I'll let you know how it goes BTG!!
