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Sandy/PA/2 - hi everyone
Sandy/PA/2 - any other four blocks people here?
Allison - Yes
Lynne - <===a 4 block fence sitter
Sandy/PA/2 - well jump on over to our side Lynne! *lol*
leon - tell me more about 4 blocks
Allison - what would you like to know?
Sandy/PA/2 - what would you like to know leon?
leon - what are the 4 blocks
aggie/1/ca - I'm a blockhead, Sandy!
Lynne - Sandy <g> i am working on it
Sandy/PA/2 - guided reading, self selected reading, working with words, writing block
aggie/1/ca - leon-- the 4 blocks are guided reading, writer's workshop, Working with Words, and SSR.
aggie/1/ca - leon-- it's a great way to teach! What grade do you have?
Lynne - I do whole group guided reading and individual stuff after.. but I can't always get all the other stuffin
3seat - does anyone here doing guided reading with intermediate groups
Sandy/PA/2 - you can do four blocks guided reading whole group, too ... it's just one way to do it
Allison - I do
leon - is your whole group GR similar to shared reading experience
Sandy/PA/2 - i'm not familiar with shared reading leon
aggie/1/ca - Somewhat, leon. Actually, Pat and Dottie wish they had called it the comprehension block since that's what's stressed during that time of the day.
Allison - I would like to learn more about Fountas and Pinnell - any opinions or ideas?
3seat - our whole school is doing guided reading groups..i have the highest level readers and would love some ideas as to challenges for them ie.reading material for guided reading
aggie/1/ca - Allison--- I did F and P for 2 years. Those little centers drove me nuts! I also didn't think I spent enough time w/my strugglers.
Lynne - Allison... most of my system works with that type of GR
Allison - Ok - well I have been hearing about them a lot lately
TessaTL - I work in a Literacy Collaborative School and I really like the Fountas and Pinnell method
aggie/1/ca - Yeah, Allison-- it seems to be one way or the other--- F & P or 4 Blocks.
3seat - aggie i can see that happening in our school for one class that is using it...the strugglers seem to just be playing with materials...
Lynne - Iam using a modified F&P approach now.. I have some center type activities while I work with my strugglers
Allison - Do any of you have suggestions for books for me to read - F and P - I'm just learning
aggie/1/ca - Yes, 3seat.... there would be days when allllllll this crazy stuff would happen and I'd spend maybe 5-10 minutes with each group! Just didn't seem to be enough.
leon - my beginnings were with F & P but taberski is more flexible and user friendly
aggie/1/ca - Allison--- the bible for that style of teaching is Guided REading--by Fountas and Pinnel.
Allison - Ok - great - thank you!!
aggie/1/ca - leigh--- first grade in CA for me.
3seat - any suggestions for high level readers for guided reading *begging for help now*
Sandy/PA/2 - 2nd in PA for me!
aggie/1/ca - Sorry, 3seat! I teach 1st...
leon - i teach grade 3 and do not do literacy centres
TessaTL - 2nd grade love both F&P and 4 Block (incorporating 4 blocks where needed)
3seat - reading recovery....but i have a group for guided reading all reading above grade 7
Lynne - Tessa I think they blend nicely too
leigh - 3 seat i group my high readers in first together for literature circles and discussions
Allison - grade 3
aggie/1/ca - Wow, 3seat!
TessaTL - 3 seat what level are your readers?
Sandy/PA/2 - we just had a four blocks workshop at our school Saturday ... it was great!
aggie/1/ca - leigh--- I was at the 4 blocks leadership conference in Clemmons
kinderkate - I like F&P's guided reading groups, but too much emphasis is being made on "what the other kids are doing". What I mean is, every teacher has her/his own system that works. Once the others are doing something valuable - then I concentrate on groups.
3seat - i have been going the route of discussion...they really want to get into drama but i am supposed to be doing guided reading....most of them are above my reading level lol
aggie/1/ca - Sandy-- I read your post about going to it! Neat! Who did the training?
mickey - I would also like to know more abour F and P. I'm a ed. major and am trying to learn it all.
leon - literacy centres work well with students at fluent stage of reading...i do a GR intro with the group to set the stage
leigh - aggie, wish i could have gone, busy working on national boards
Sandy/PA/2 - Deb Smith ... I wrote a grant to pay for it! My first ever grant! 43 people from 9 schools came. She is an excellent presenter
3seat - mickey..you will kill yourself learning it all...then it will all change
aggie/1/ca - It was wonderful, leigh! I loved it and hope to go back next year.
buddie - how many groups do you have kinderkate. Dpo you do any whole group teaching
Lynne - Leon.. i have used center activities with children who are not fluent
aggie/1/ca - Wow, Sandy! Wow! I met Deb in January at leadership.
Allison - Indeed 3seat!
TessaTL - I have been really pleased with my workstations and have found them effective with all levels
Sandy/PA/2 - Cool! Didn't you write one of the chapters in the True Stories book? Deb gave me a copy. I had her autograph her chapter! =)
aggie/1/ca - Yes, I did, Sandy! My chapter starts on page 113.
kinderkate - I'm doing reading recovery right now. However, I work with other teachers at times. In our district the push is to do 2 or 3 groups a day, seeing the lowest group daily, and the others at least twice a week.
Lynne - <==was trained in Reading Recovery years ago <sigh>
Sandy/PA/2 - I'm working my way to it then aggie! I'm really enjoying the book... I met two other people from the Four Blocks chatboard Saturday ... they traveled up from Mansfield, PA
kinderkate - Aggie - I missed something. Chapter in what?
leon - thanks Tessa... will look into workstations
kinderkate - Why did you leave, Lynne?
aggie/1/ca - kinderkate-- I was asked to contribute a chapter to Pat Cunningham's latest book-- True Stories from 4 Blocks Classrooms
Lynne - kinderkate.. my system got rid of it <sigh>
3seat - kinderkate...you don't see your reading recovery kids daily?
TessaTL - leon a good resource is What are the Other Kids Doing
kinderkate - Wow - aggie - didn't realize I knew a celeb, lol. Have you published elsewhere?
Lynne - Oh Tessa.. that is a great book <g>
aggie/1/ca - Really, Sandy? Who were they?
3seat - lynne i am worried that will happen in our district too
buddie - I am attending a 4Blocks conf in NY now. Today was guided reading...4 Blocks style..whole group..comprehension based. I can see the merit in it...but feel the need for small groups. Does anybody do both...how do you fit it all in?
kinderkate - Yes, I see RR kids daily. I wasn't clear. That is what the classroom teachers do.
Allison - I just gave that book to my student teacher
Lynne - 3seat.. it was a horrible loss in my system
aggie/1/ca - Well, kinder--- yes! I'm a regular columnist here at Tnet! In the Gazette!
leon - i have heart of that text..will investigate further
TessaTL - also I like Mailbox's Literacy Centers
Sandy/PA/2 - Jessica and Amy -- I don't know their screen names. They had posted looking for training, so I invited them to ours.
kinderkate - What district, lynne?
Allison - Buddie - are you from NY?
buddie - Yup!
TessaTL - but it is more work to implement
Claire - Mailboxes literacy centres have been great
3seat - yes lynne there is a huge debate about the cost justification for service to small groups...we are quite concerned....funding is already minimal
aggie/1/ca - buddie--- when I first started doing 4 blocks that's what I thought, too--- but there's no way you can fit it all in and, after awhile, you see how it all works and you don't need to do it.
Lynne - kinderkate... in MA... we brought RR training to the East Coast first too
mickey - 3seat-You are probably right there! I guess I'll have to settle with just learning the best! Any suggestions of where to start?
Lynne - 3seat.. that was the issue totally
Allison - Me too! Where in NY?
leigh - is this a chat group that regularly meets
buddie - Rome, NY
3seat - have there been any studies in your district re: the loss of rr
kinderkate - When it comes to centers our district has gone awayfrom the activity type centers to reading. Reading the room, independent reading, buddy reading, poetry box, leveled box choice, browsing, reading books that the class made. etc.
aggie/1/ca - leigh--- there's a chat about once a month on either F and P or 4 Blocks.
Allison - My college roomate was from Rome - I'm in Albany
3seat - mickey..i think that the best is what works for you and your kids....takes a lot of experimentation and flexibility
kinderkate - so why did they stop rr, lynne?
TessaTL - kinderkate in our district it depends what grade level
Lynne - kinderkate.. it was a financial matter mostly... we cut back on a lot that year
buddie - Allison...do you do 4 Blocks? Is your school doing it or are you just going it alone? (Who was your roomate?)
kinderkate - I'm familiar with F&P but not 4 blocks. Can someone describe briefly?
Allison - I'm a lone four blocker - roomate was Tamara Glinski - College of Saint Rose
Ginn - I'm giving a presentation on 4 Blocks to our 1st grade teachers in a few weeks. Any suggestions on guided reading at the 1st grade level?
kinderkate - Those of you that do F&P, do you have another adult in the classroom at that time to help kids at centers.
Allison - Although many teachers use certain parts of four blocks (Making Words)
Lynne - kinderkate.. I don't, but my centers are absolutely independent reading and writing at their level
Claire - kinderkate, No and I have 30 students who work through workshops fairly independantly
kinderkate - OK, Lynne, that is what is like here. I think that is more beneficial to the students, less prep for teachers, and more easily managed. WOW, claire, what grade.
buddie - I have 4 groups..I am working with one, a parent volunteer is working with one, my assistant is working with one and the fourth group is at literacy centrers which are at their independnet level
kinderkate - OH, buddie, my last year in K I had that same situation. It was heaven and the kids did GREAT!!
leah18360 - hi all ny, reading recovery teacher
kinderkate - Where are you that you still have aides, buddie. What grade. We lost all of our aides last year.
kinderkate - hi leah, rr here too. from san diego. Are you from New York City?
buddie - My students are doing well and I am pleased..however, I am always looking for ways to improve. That's why I am attempting to get feed back on F& P guided as opposed to 4 Blocks guided. Opinions? I am in Rome, NY...aides come as part of an inclusion program
kinderkate - Do you ever see small groups in 4 blocks?
TessaTL - I teach F & P way, but I do use some 4 Block stuff. I like both methods, and use the best parts of both. I love the small group work that I do with my kids, but love the Word Work block too
TessaTL - I also am finishing up our 1st book club (from 4 Blocks)
kinderkate - Leah - are you from New York. I would like to speak with someone who teaches in the Manhattan district.
