Get Ready for the Daily Five Book Study/Blog

In April of 2009 I began reading the Daily 5 book by the 2 Sisters.  I wanted to jump in and begin Daily 5 in my first grade classroom, but there were only about 6 weeks of school left.  So instead of jumping in,  I waded in with Read To Self.  Not only was I hooked, but so were the kids!  They loved being given the "time to read" and building stamina.  So I spent the summer preparing for the big launch with my new class in the fall of 2009.  I was tandem teaching with my partner of 11 years, so I bought her the book, and convinced 3 more teachers in first and second grade to try it out as well.
I typed out explicit lesson plans for my teammate and me and put everything we needed into a notebook (stamina charts, guide to barometer child,  the 10 steps etc.).  We shopped for book boxes at Lakeshore, organized our library, and prepared materials for word work.  When school began we launched on the first day and we were off and running!

Welcome to the CRA Daily 5 Book Club/Blog.  Many of you who will be joining us on our journey in July may have noticed that the 2 Sisters will be keynote speakers at the California Reading Association's Professional Development Institute on October 17-18, 2014.  This was no accident!
I had become a D5 devotee and knew that I wanted the Sisters to come to California.  In October 2012 I emailed Gail and Joan and invited them to our conference.  They graciously accepted and at that time they had never presented in California. They will give the keynote on Friday night from
7:00 to 9:00 pm and will be featured speakers on Saturday from 9:45-10:45.  At lunch they will be signing books in the exhibit hall.  So let's get ready for the 2 Sisters visit by reading or revisiting their book, The Daily Five.  See you in July!

Joanne Devine
PDI Conference Chair
CRA President-Elect

Schedule and Guidelines for Daily Five 2nd Edition Book Study

We realize many of you may be vacationing during this book study. Therefore please don’t jump ahead and blog about future chapters. However, we welcome comments or questions on past chapters. 

July 1- 7: Posts on Ch. 1 That was Then, This is Now: How the Daily 5 Has Evolved and Ch. 2- Our Core Beliefs: The Foundations of the Daily 5

July 8- 14: Posts or blogs on Chapter 3: The Ten Steps to Teaching and Learning Independence

July 15- 21: Posts or blogs on Chapter 4- What Do You Need to Begin the Daily 5? and Ch. 5- Launching Read to Self: The First Daily 5

July 22- 28: Posts or blogs on Chapter 6- Foundation Lessons

July 29- Aug. 3: Posts or blogs on Chapter 7- When to Launch the Next Daily 5

August 4- August 8: Posts or blogs on Chapter 8- and Ch. 9- The Math Daily 3 and Returning to our Core Beliefs

Thanks & Happy Blogging! 

How to Blog (Post your Comments)

On the right, you will see Blog Archive

            ▼  2014 ‪(2)‬

            ▼  June ‪(2)‬
                        How to Blog (Post your Comments)
                        Free Book Club Blog Summer 2014

                        

Click on the blog or post you would like to view. Underneath this post or blog, you’ll see Comments or No Comments if no one has posted a reply. Under Post a Comment, you’ll see a box with the words "Enter your comment…" Click inside the box and type your comments. Then hit publish. That's all there is to it!

Blogging is all about having an engaging conversation. It’s not a secret code. And it’s not meant to be one-way!

Free Daily 5 Book Study Blog Summer 2014

Do you like chatting with peers about what really works in teaching literacy?

Do you want to build stamina as well as excitement in your students so they read AND write well?

Then join us on this blog over the summer!

CRA is hosting a summer splash Book Club!  We are posting thoughts and ideas as well as soliciting your input about classroom experiences based on The Daily 5: Fostering Literacy in the Elementary Grades [2^nd edition].  This book by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (The 2 Sisters) is available at Amazon.  Please go to www.californiareads.org home page and click Amazon search to order the book and help CRA’s literacy efforts!

Join us for this enjoyable networking July 1- August 8.  More information is coming soon. Stay connected!

IRA Name Change

The International Literacy Association!!??

Our Thoughts on a Name Change

An Op-Ed piece by

Jack Cassidy &

Evan Ortlieb

(IRA Board meetings are open to all IRA members. Members can attend as observers but are usually silent unless invited to comment by the Board. Few IRA members actually do attend as observers. The IRA Special Interest Group, Specialized Literacy Professionals fought for open Board meetings almost 20 years ago. One of the authors of this piece did attend the recent Board meeting)

At the October 2013 Board meeting of the International Reading Association (IRA), the Board of Directors of IRA voted to change the name of the organization to the International Literacy Association and to re-incorporate in Delaware. A temporary board for the ILA was elected; and the process was begun. Discussion was relatively brief and only one board member spoke against the change. For the final vote, nine voted for the change, one member voted against it and one abstained; one board member was absent.  We believe this decision was too hasty, premature, and possibly wrong!

Some History

The name, “International Reading Association,” was voted on by the founding members of the organization fifty-nine years ago. Since then, the organization has grown tremendously and has affiliated councils all over the US and around the world. Many, if not most, of the affiliated state councils also have the word reading in the name (e.g. Keystone State Reading Association, Diamond State Reading Association, California Reading Association, etc.). Approximately, thirty years ago a motion was made before the IRA Delegates Assembly to change the name to “International Literacy Association.”  The primary impetus for that change came from some European and Canadian delegates who felt that the initials “IRA” were too often associated with the outlawed and notorious Irish Republican Army. The Delegates Assembly consisted of representatives from the various state, local and provincial IRA affiliated councils as well as representatives from national affiliates. This group was considered the ultimate decision making body of IRA. The motion to change the name failed overwhelmingly.

Times have changed. Tensions in Ireland have cooled considerably; the IRA is no longer the pariah it once was.  The IRA Delegates Assembly was eliminated in the last decade. Apparently, legally only a board elected by the entire membership can make decisions about an organization. In other words, the IRA Board, which is elected by the entire membership, can make such a change. The relatively new bylaws of IRA identify the Board as the official decision making body of the organization.

Pros and Cons for the Change of Name

At the IRA Board meeting, the major reason for the change was that the term “literacy” is more contemporary and is more reflective of the broader focus of the association to include writing, speaking and the new literacies. Also, it was mentioned that other organizations had changed their names. The National Reading Conference (NRC) became the Literacy Research Association (LRA); the College Reading Association became the Association for Literacy Education and Research (ALER). In addition, it was suggested the name International Literacy Association would be more attractive to “Gen X ers” and millennials, two groups that have, heretofore, not been flocking to join IRA.

The lone voice of dissent at the IRA Board meeting alluded to the long history of the IRA and its name.   The new name might actually cause a decline in membership since no one would know anything about the new organization. There would also be a cost in changing the name – new logo’s, rebranding, massive PR efforts etc.  Also, mentioned was the fact that the name change could lead to changes in the names of the premier journals (e.g. The Reading Teacher, Reading Research Quarterly, etc.).

My Thoughts – Jack Cassidy

As a member of the “silent generation” (those born before WW II), I think the Board assumed that that I would automatically be opposed to such a name change. In fact, at the Board meeting, reference was made to the fact that the “older’ IRA members might object, but younger members would likely embrace such a change. More importantly, the new name would help attract new members. However, since I now know that middle age ends at 75 (and since I am years away from that milestone) I do not consider myself “older”. My feelings are ambivalent. I can see the arguments both for and against the change.  Recently, when I helped found a state organization, I argued for the name Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE). I also argued for the name change of the IRA Special Interest Group, Specialized Reading Professionals to Specialized Literacy Professionals; however, neither of these groups had a 59 year history. Also, neither of these groups, like ALER and LRA, had anywhere near the membership of IRA.

Ironically, one of the arguments against the name change 30 years ago was that the word literacy could connote too narrow a focus. At that time, it was associated with the field of adult literacy and IRA had a much wider audience. Today, the term literacy has developed into a catch-all word for all kinds of knowledge – cultural literacy, media literacy, science literacy, etc.  Thus, teachers trained in any area could thus be termed “literacy specialists,”

My Thoughts – Evan Ortlieb

As a member of the millennial generation, the Board might expect my opinion to be that of relief- that finally the IRA will be giving adequate attention to other aspects of literacy not reflected by the term- reading. Yet there are a number of reasons why I feel the International Reading Association should and must maintain its original name during this critical juncture. When I was first introduced to the field in 2005, I was told that I had to go to the IRA conference because it was the mecca of all things in the field; to this day, it retains that distinction to teachers and professors alike.

This begs the question why change the name when it trumps every other organization in the field. Just as with everything else in public spheres, it seems the aim to be more inclusive and potentially not offend those who value writing or other areas of literacy more than reading. Yet I am offended at the change away from reading. Everyone who knows anything about the field knows that the International Reading Association is more than just reading; inclusive terms, though, can water down the appeal of the organization. For instance, literacy, as it is currently defined, is somewhat inclusive but not as inclusive as Language Arts or English. But those terms are integral to other organizations, so naturally those would not make sense. What about an even broader term like Education, or better yet, Learning? But that might sound too cognitive?  This never-ending slope of inclusion is laden with problems as it no longer allows the field to identify with an already established organization that has stood the test of time.

Organizational focus changes in scope with what is hot and what is not but no one felt the need to change the name to the International Print and Digital Literacies Association several years ago when these topics were in the limelight. Moreover, a name change does not correct the budgetary difficulties of the last several years; in fact, it may signal another alarm that change can compromise existing success (i.e., having the East and West IRA conferences in the same year; having presentations heavily comprised of publishing company representatives; and publishing articles on the periphery instead of on effective reading instruction).

Call me old-fashioned, but why not let the members of the organization have a say in what transpires? It may turn out that they like the change and if so, then carry on. But its members may very well feel that reading was their attraction to the organization in the first place; that they love to teach children, adolescents, and adults to read; and that they will be resistant again in ten years to another change in name when another term becomes currently in fad.

We Agree

Both of us agree that the decision to change the name was too hasty and premature.  Although we have great respect for the knowledge, diligence and integrity of the elected Board, IRA has many stakeholders – members, publishers, prospective members, classroom teachers, reading specialists, council members, etc.. All of these constituencies should be allowed to comment. Indeed the Board should facilitate forums where this input can take place. So, what should be done immediately – AN IRA BOARD MEMBER WHO VOTED ON THE PREVAILING SIDE SHOULD MOVE RECONSIDERATION OF THAT VOTE. HOPEFULLY, SUCH A MOTION WOULD BE SECONDED AND PASS. STAKEHOLDERS WOULD THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.  That is our opinion.

(Jack Cassidy is a former IRA President and Evan Ortlieb is senior lecturer at Monash University in Australia. Both are members of the Executive Board of the Specialized Literacy Professionals)

Summer is HERE and School is OUT

     For me summer means vacation, but also a time to read the books I have stacked up all year, and a time delve more deeply into curriculum. I have posted before that I am a huge fan of Chris Biffle and Whole Brain Teaching. I have been taking copious notes on each of the videos that you can find on the website. My goal is to fully incorporate each strategy in my class this coming school year. If I am going to have my students think critically and read closely, then they need to be focused and involved. I truly believe that the Whole Brain Teaching strategies will give me the tools to do just that.

     Currently I am rereading Mindset the New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol Dweck. This book is certainly worth exploring! Amazon summarizes the book as follows:
     "Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success–but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals–personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area."

     Finally, I continue my quest to find out more about Common Core and how I can best prepare my students for the inevitable tests that we will all be responsible for. To a large extent I have been quite frustrated as there is not that much "out there." I want examples of the in depth tasks that students will be required to tackle, and I can find one or two examples, but what about a year's worth? One resource that I plan to use extensively is The Basal Alignment Project. Volunteers have aligned stories from popular ELA texts to Common Core complete with standards addressed and questions to incorporate into your class. Check it out:
http://www.achievethecore.org/ela-literacy-common-core/aligning-materials/basal-alignment-project

     May your summer be everything you want it to be!

Respectfully,
Lynda Griblin

PS - Don't forget to check us out on Facebook. The link is on our Homepage....Pinterest too!

     

Spring is Here

April has certainly started on a wild note - thunder, lightning, hail, and rain - the perfect time to curl up with a good book. Two of my recent favorites are Evertaster by Adam Sidwell and Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Both very different stories, both very captivating. Check them out via our Amazon.com link on our Homepage.

I have always been a fan of Chris Biffle and Whole Brain Teaching. Some great friends and I even traveled south to attend one of his first conferences. Unfortunately, I have not been the best at incorporating his strategies in my class over the past couple of years. I was quickly reminded of the effectiveness of his strategies when I was invited to observe several teachers throughout our county last month, and found all to be using various strategies that I recognized immediately as those taught through Whole Brain Teaching.  Since that time I have "attended" several of his Webinars, and viewed many of his past Webinars - all of which are found on the Whole Brain Teaching Website. There are so many resources, Webinars, downloads, and videos, all for free, that I am planning time this summer to fully immerse myself in the world of Whole Brain Teaching. My plan is to fully incorporate Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom next year. Check it out: www.wholebrainteaching.com - but I warn you - you will be just as addicted as I am.

Have a wonderful Spring.

Respectfully,
Lynda Griblin