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Mary/PA - Welcome to this evening's Reading Recovery Meeting here at Teachers.Net.
Mary/PA - We don't have a topic set for this evening
Mary/PA - We can talk about whatever comes up
tyylee - Mary, are you doing anything to keep up with your RR students over the summer?
Mary/PA - tyylee, no, I've tried in the past and it's of little use
Mary/PA - Those who are interested in learning are going to summer school. The others are off doing whatever they do.
Melinda - Hi all. I was wondering if anyone is teaching RR this summer. I am and have been asked to take 6 kids every morning!
Mary/PA - They are the ones who didn't do well with reading at home during the school year, they won't read during the summer.
tyylee - I have had no contact with my RR students either but was reading on the listserve about things that other people do. I'm not sure how effective it would be with my students.
Mary/PA - Melinda, I did teach in the past - but I only had 4
Mary/PA - Melinda, 6 is a lot. Are they paying you for all the plan time it takes to keep up the paper work?
rookie in NC - I have just been hired as a reading recovery teacher and will be begin teaching this coming school year. I am also a first year teacher. Does anyone have any suggestions or words of wisdom for me?
tyylee - Six students in a morning would be a heavy load with all the paperwork that goes along with RR!!!!
Melinda - I was planning on writing to my kids this summer and give them a SASE to write back.
Mary/PA - Melinda, that sounds like a good idea, Maybe I'll try it
Melinda - I will be paid for four hours but I plan to ask for four and a half or five hours with a break included.
Mary/PA - Have either of you ever gone to an organizational meeting for RR to get ready for the upcoming year?
Melinda - Sounds like a good idea to have a meeting. It takes a little boost to get going and by then roaming is almost over!
Mary/PA - Melinda, are the kids going to be available for that length of time?
tyylee - We had our first continuing contact in Sept. but I think one before school starts would be a great idea! Do you do that?
Mary/PA - This isn't a CC meeting, It's an "organizational meeting" I've never been to one and have no idea what is involved
Melinda - That is a good question. They are there from 8-3:30 but will have various schedules. I think they are only coming from two classrooms so it could get tricky. I'll have to see how the scheduling goes as they plan this week.
Mary/PA - It's not going to count as a CC
Mary/PA - Oh, our summer school is just 9 - 1
tyylee - Rookie, the hardest part for me was teaching the first round children as I was learning the program. I always felt like I learned things about two weeks after I needed to know about it. Once I learned all the components of the program and was into the second round children I felt much better.
Mary/PA - With a lunch and a recess included in that time
jan - in your summer school - do you do RR or just continue a child's program
tyylee - Mary, we are having three 'teacher days' before school starts this year. I don't think I could handle yet another meeting!!! (even though I think a RR one would be a good idea)
rookie in NC - Tylee, thanks for responding. What are some of your favorite activities/books for literacy groups?
Mary/PA - jan, when we did it (we don't any more) we finished the kids who weren't done with their program
jan - we have a rr meeting before school actually starts - usually just a half day
Melinda - I know that 2 of the kids are continuing and I suspect the others might too but I don't know yet.
jan - do any of you do small literacy groups as well as RR
tyylee - When doing RR in summer school how do you handle the fact that you don't have a full program? Do you just continue once school starts? Our summer school in students from thirteen elementary schools and not every school has RR teachers.
Mary/PA - rookie are you going to start your training or have you been trained?
rookie in NC - I will begin training in August.
tyylee - The other half of my day is Title 1 and is usually Literacy groups, sometimes with my RR children in my Lit. group.
jan - i do small group literacy groups in the afternoon and we are not allowed to have RR children in those groups
Mary/PA - Lucky you, there are ways to find out about what to expect. 8 years ago when I was in your shoes, there was nothing. They wouldn't even let you buy the GB and OS to read ahead of time, now anyone can buy them
Melinda - I think I am supposed to take kids as far as I can in the summer so they will not lose over the summer and maybe even gain a little since the rest of their summer program includes literacy also. It's a coop program with a mentor and 3 student teachers in each class.
jan - what kind of format do you use with small groups
Mary/PA - I didn't have much of a clue about what I was getting into
Mary/PA - Melinda, that's how we used you run our summer school, but now it's just all in-house
rookie in NC - I am excited about learning more about the program but am a little nervous. I heard the training is really hard. One of my professors even said that getting her RR certification was harder than getting her Ph.D.
Mary/PA - rookie, it was the most challenging thing I ever did, but I think that's because I went into it blindly - we all did - there was nobody around here doing it - on one to talk to
tyylee - We use the Fountas/Pinnel method for Lit. groups. Every child who is considered below ave. gets Title 1 help even if they are in RR also.
rookie in NC - Do you have any suggestions to help me prepare?
Melinda - In the Title I part of my job, I go into classrooms and do reading or writing workshop with whole class mini lessons on comprehension or writing.
Mary/PA - Read everything that you can about RR - The web is full of sites now - Post questions on the RR ChatBoard here at T-Net
tyylee - Rookie, I think training would be easier if there was/is another RR teacher in your building. When I took my training I was the only one. This year another teacher in the building trained and I was able to help her and answer her questions between her class sessions.
Mary/PA - tyylee, do you also have a reading certificate?
Mary/PA - My training class was also the first class for our TL
rookie in NC - My school assignment is not definite yet but the school that I will probably be at already has two RR teachers there so I am sure that they will be wonderful resources.
didi - I agree having had RR teachers around for 3 years before training and while training was a bonus
Mary/PA - She was still sorting things out we we were all confused very often
didi - I agree having had RR teachers around for 3 years before training and while training was a bonus
tyylee - Yes Mary, I have been teaching Title 1 for about fifteen years. I am a certified reading teacher as well as a certified elementary teacher. I took RR training because I found that there were children that I just couldn't reach and help in a group situation and with the knowledge I had. I just finished my second year as a RR teacher and am still learning every day/
Mary/PA - rookie, what is your assignment for the other half of the day?
rookie in NC - Tylee, do you enjoy teaching RR or do you think you will go back to teaching something else?
rookie in NC - Mary, I will have literacy groups. I don't really know a whole lot of specifics yet.
Mary/PA - I think that makes a difference as well. During my training year I was also teaching kindergarten for the first time in a room that have no materials
Melinda - I have found that once you have RR experience you can never go back to how you used to do things.
rookie in NC - Mary, Wow! Sounds like a challenge!
Mary/PA - rookie, that won't be so bad, Lit groups aren't as demanding as a regular kinder class - if I made it through my first year, anyone can make it.
tyylee - I get frustrated with all the RR paperwork even though I see its purpose, it just takes so much time. I like seeing the progress my RR children make. Last year I had a boy in small group until I picked him up in Feb. for RR. IT was not until I started his RR that he really started to learn to read. So Yes I will continue to teach RR as long as I can help children!!!!
Mary/PA - You'll do just fine, rookie
rookie in NC - Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas to share about literacy group activities?
Mary/PA - Melinda, I wouldn't want to go back :o)
Melinda - Speaking of paperwork, tyylee, do all of you do MSV's everyday or do you just get the gist of it and go on? Oooops did I say that!?!?
didi - Do you have a limit of how many years you can do rr before going back on class?
tyylee - Literacy Groups use so many of the RR strategies that once you have learned RR it is fairly easy to plan.
didi - Sometimes I skim over the msv and others when looking at where to go I look more closely
Mary/PA - rookie, there's a book that would be good for you to read - Apprenticeship in Literacy
rookie in NC - Mary, thanks! I'll check it out.
Mary/PA - Melinda, I won't tell anyone that you said that :o)
tyylee - If you haven't read the Fountas/Pinnel book on Guided reading you might get it. I thought it was very helpful. Also I found a web site that gave me some good info. I will look it up and post it in a minute.
didi - Whoops there's the bell back to class see you next time it's our midyear break then!!!
Melinda - Thanks, Mary, I hope the RR police don't get me!!
rookie in NC - Thanks! I appreciate all the help I can get.
tyylee - Here is the web site on Guided Reading, http://www.geocities.com/Wellesley/Atrium/1783/GuidedReading.html
Melinda - Rookie, one of the reasons that the Fountas Pinnell book is so good is that they are both RR trained. I especially like their book 'Word Matters' since it really discusses the strategies.
Mary/PA - Have any of you ever been called upon to send all your our records to OSU?
tyylee - Mary, horrors, do they really do that?
Mary/PA - Yes, every year one or two lucky people in our region have to do that - so far I've been lucky enough to not be one of them
tyylee - I have been complaining that all the records are starting to take up a whole file cab. drawer and was wondering how long we have to keep them.
Peg - I haven't caught much of the discussion, but I agree the Guided Reading book is good.
Melinda - Mary, now you've made me panic!!
Cathie/NC - we just started doing the DRA and running records this past spring, can any of you give me any advice on giving them and what you do with the rest of the class while you give them to a student?
Peg - I am a newly trained RR teacher and was told (I think) we have to keep our records for 5 years.
Mary/PA - Melinda's question about not MSVing everything every day made me think of that - I'm so afraid that if I don't I will be the one who has to turn in everything at the end of the year - nightmare material here!
rookie in NC - Peg, I am a first year teacher/ RR teacher and I was asking for any suggested resources or lesson ideas. do you have any?
tyylee - Oh yes, I remember that five year thing now, by then I will need a whole new file cab.
Peg - Rookie, are you asking for RR lessons ?!?! or classroom lessons?
Mary/PA - Peg, that is correct - 5 years
Melinda - Cathie - you can do DRA's when the rest of the class is having SSR or whatever you call it.
Peg - I already have a box full of files, and this is my 1st year of RR
tyylee - Do you msv all the running records you take when giving the end of the year OS?
Mary/PA - Peg, it gets worse :o)
Cathie/NC - Melinda, that's what I did at the end of this year, but when I get my 27 second graders this year, I wonder if they will be quiet and still while I give the DRA to a student.
Mary/PA - I started using file drawers in the office because I just had no place to put all the records.
Peg - I can imagine it does get pretty bad. My room is small and I can't store the records any place else.
Mary/PA - The principal is now giving me the office file that I was using and bought some new ones for the office
Peg - In a couple of years, I'll have no room for kids! :o)
Melinda - Cathie - I think you'd have to establish the routines around SSR before you could do running records. I know that I end up doing a lot of (all right all of) the running records as the reading teacher!!
tyylee - Are there any aides in your school that could help you? We go into a classroom in mass, Title 1 teachers and aids, special ed teachers and aids and anyone else we can get to help and try to get the classroom tested as quickly as possible.
Melinda - Peg - I know what you mean. My half of the closet is 4'x10'!!!
Cathie/NC - I see, but we have no reading teacher and we have to do each student right at the beginning of the year. It takes awhile to get a new class settled.
Pam - okay - need to find a place to level some books online
Mary/PA - Peg, just stack them up and build a sofa out of them
Peg - I missed the last meeting. Was the topic of that meeting "using the OSS" in a meaningful way? IF it was I'll need to go back and check the archives. I really need help using the OS effectively.
Melinda - Cathie - that will be hard. Are there any records from last year so you at least will know what level to try with them?
Peg - The sofa idea sounds helpful! :o)
tyylee - Pam, try http://Leveledbooks.com/
Cathie/NC - yes, they were tested at the end of the year!
Mary/PA - Pam, the best that I can offer is to suggest that you do a web search.
Pam - thanks a lot - will try there Nite Hugs to all
Peg - The wright group and rigby both have leveled book lists on their sites
MsGWit - Does anyone here teach in a Success for All building?
MsGWit - Yes this was my training year
tyylee - Also, many of the book publishers post leveled book lists on their Web site. Ex. Wright Group and Scholastic both have a Leveled list of their books.
Mary/PA - MsGWit, do you mean that you just finished your training year or you will be beginning this summer?
Peg - MsGWit, this was my training year too!
MsGWit - I just finished my training year, Mary
tyylee - We have used Early Success for first and second grades. Success for all is third and up. I are not currently using either but have them if and when we need them.
Mary/PA - Well, what did you think of it all?
MsGWit - I am looking forward to Sept.
rookie in NC - For those of you who just finished your training year, do you have any advice for someone who is just beginning their training year?
Peg - I have to admit I'm looking forward (after a nice vacation) to teaching RR next year. I think I'll be more effective now that I'll have time to focus on the kids instead of on assignments I was given during training.
MsGWit - I was so pleased with the progress of my students.
Mary/PA - Well that's a good sign, MsG
MsGWit - How long have you been a RR teacher?
Peg - The progress the kids made WAS amazing.
tyylee - I was surprised that we had so many assignments for Cont. Contact. Do you have papers and assignments for you CC?
Mary/PA - Yes it is
MsGWit - I agree, Peg
Mary/PA - Does anyone have any ideas about what we should talk about next time?
Peg - Advice ? Hmmm... Be willing to talk with other RR teachers. Both trained teachers and those I went through training with were a huge source of information and support!
MsGWit - I would be interested in some ideas for letter sorts with magnetic letters
MsGWit - during roaming
Peg - Letter sorts , Roaming ideas, OSS writing and using -- any of those would be great for me!
MsGWit - I have been having students match upper with lower case letters, sorting by shape l. . .
Mary/PA - Letter work for next time? Sounds good to me.
Peg - or how about parent connection and communication?!?
MsGWit - great
Mary/PA - Peg, that's good as well, we can do that the time after next - we meet every other week
Peg - Sounds wonderful! Thanks and Goodnight!
Mary/PA - Thanks for coming this evening.
Mary/PA - Good night all!
