Win a copy of The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller

Happy New Year!

Just got my copy of The Book Whisperer:  Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller.  It's fabulous!!  There's a FREE copy for one lucky CRA blogger.  Hopefully, you'll join us for The Book Whisperer book club blog starting February 1!  And Donalyn will be a keynote speaker at the CRA PDI on Nov. 4-5 in Visalia!

Send a blog that you're interested in being in the drawing for this book by February 1.  On February 2, the book will be mailed to a lucky winner!  If you have trouble sending a blog, see below.  If you read it, tried it, and are still having trouble, give me a call.  I'll be happy to help you!  

It's going to be a fun online book club this year!  Donalyn currently teaches so it's no surprise Allington writes,  "Miller's book is powerful and practical…helping you to understand how to overcome current classroom culture where some children learn and many learn to hate reading." But wait!  That's not all.

You can EASILY earn one semester unit to advance you on your salary scale for ONLY $60.  Email you're interested and you'll get the paperwork ASAP.  You only need to do 3 blogs re: The Book Whisperer!  And you may do your 3 blogs for college credit anytime night or day from February 1 through August  31!!

Happy Reading and Blogging!

Lynn Gurnee, 

Past CRA President

510-449-1988

Professional Development Institute , November 4-5, 2016 

Visalia Convention Center
Keynote Speakers: Donalyn Miller and Regie Routman

Visit us on Facebook & Pinterest or www.californiareads.org  

Blogging’s fun & easy!  Join us!

•  Click on a blog/ post you want to view. Scroll down to see them all.

•  Under a post/blog are Comments/ No Comments (if no one posted).

•  Under Post a Comment is a box with "Enter your comment…"

•  Click inside the box and type your comments.

•  Hit publish.  That's it!  Why wait?  Let us hear from you!

Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions, Gr. K-8

Opinion/Argument Writing: 

• Loved the Learning progressions for grades PreK - 9th grade
• Prompts, rubrics, checklists, samples and annotated demo. texts are well done & so helpful
• Love how the book has indexes that fold out for easy use! Set up very nicely!

Information Writing: Same as above and leveled student writing samples are priceless!

Narrative Writing: Same as above and the high quality of texts is greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoyed this book as much as Terri Ohler, Lori Bivins and I did as we blogged together.

Lucy Calkins comes to CRA’s PDI on Riverside on Oct. 23-24. Hope to see you there!

Why wait?  Start blogging today! Let us hear from you…any books you'd like us to consider for our next online book club?

Lynn Gurnee, CRA Past President

(Having trouble blogging? Need more info. for college credit? Email lynn@gurnee.org)

Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments & Learning Progressions, K-8

Part 1 Chapters 7-9 Highlights

Ch. 7 Teaching Informed by the Learning Progressions

•  Catching teachable movements or the best way to move a young writer forward is not easy but Lucy’s 7 learning progressions really do help
• Using the writing genre checklists while conferring is a powerful tool
• Lucy’s “Principles of Conferring” on p. 82 and the chart to “Pump up Writing” on p.84 are dynamite
• Finally, the “Making Small Groups Effective” teacher chart on p. 86 and the “How to” student chart on p. 87- priceless!

Ch. 8  Supporting Transference across the Content Areas

• Using Reading-Writing Checklists & making connections to build close reading skills was a favorite on p. 94-95

Ch. 9  Designing Reading-Writing Performance Assessments

• What sparked your interest?  

Blogging’s fun & easy!  Join us!

•  Click on a blog/ post you want to view. Scroll down to see them all.

•  Under a post/blog are Comments/ No Comments (if no one posted).

•  Under Post a Comment is a box with "Enter your comment…"

•  Click inside the box and type your comments.

•  Hit publish. That's it! Why wait?

Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments & Learning Progressions, K-8

Part 1 Chapters 4-6: Highlights that jumped out at me… 

What sparked your interest?  Blogging’s fun & easy!  Join us!

•  Click on a blog/ post you want to view. Scroll down to see them all.

•  Under a post/blog are Comments/ No Comments (if no one posted).

•  Under Post a Comment is a box with "Enter your comment…"

•  Click inside the box and type your comments.

•  Hit publish. That's it! Why wait?

Chapter 4 Using Early Results to Plan and Adapt Your Writing Curriculum

•             Wow!  Doesn’t that title grab your interest?  Powerful stuff!
•     Yes, levels early in the year may be disappointing.  Recalling the 1^st day of school, "kinders" told me they’d like to learn how to tie shoes or button pants.  It was so disappointing that they didn’t instead  say, “I want to learn how to read and write!”
•      Lucy’s basic levels of differentiation through coaching in mini lessons, conferring and small group instruction is doable and makes success reachable!  Wish this book was on my shelf "back in the day!"

Chapter 5 Self Assessment Checklists: The What, the Why, and the How

•            Loved Lucy’s findings that checklists are more kid friendly than rubrics
•      Also loved Lucy’s modeling on how to introduce, adapt when needed, and use the checklists

Chapter 6 Tracking Data: On-the-Run and Formally

• Having students invent a record keeping system along with you is invaluable!
• What did you take away? Can’t wait to hear from you!

Cheers,

CRA Past President Lynn Gurnee

Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments & Learning Progressions, K-8.

Don’t have a copy? Blog if you want to enter our raffle for a free copy!

Part 1 Chapters 1-3 Highlights that jumped out at me…

Ch. 1  Assessment Toolkit

* checklists to raise student and teaching level & students improve in a matter of weeks-intriguing!

* checklists, rubrics, and benchmark texts derived from Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

* Effective formative tools as students are actively engaged & transfer skills from one type of writing to another

Ch. 2  1^st Step: Conducting On-Demand Performance Assessments

* Begin day 1 by inviting kids show off their writing- they’ll love that kind of invitation!

* Teach the Writer not the Writing- love that advice, don't you?

* Important for teachers across grade levels to agree on a plan- same grade level prompt and same genre assessed

* Kids given heads up day before to be ready to write about a topic they know for 45 minutes and invited to bring resources- that will boost kids’ confidence!

*  FAQ is helpful!

Ch. 3  The Norming Meeting and Subsequent Scoring: Developing Shared Expectation

 Lucy gives positive support for working as a group and alone to get magnificent growth!

What did you take away or what jumped out at you? Can’t wait to hear from you!

Cheers,

Lynn Gurnee,

CRA Past Pres.

CRA’s New Summer Book Blog Begins Next Week!

We’re reading Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions, Gr. K-8. Need a copy? Blog if you want to enter our raffle for a free copy!

Educators can easily earn a semester unit for only $60. You need only complete three blogs.  Our blog has been viewed 5,317 times this year for a reason!

Plus, you can always review past book club blogs on Lori Oczkus’ "...Close Reading and Comprehension of Informational Text" or Café by The Two Sisters. You may comment on these past blogs to earn your semester unit.  (Lucy and Lori will be keynoters at CRA’s Riverside PDI Oct. 23-24)!

Here’s our schedule for Lucy Calkins’ Writing Pathways: Gr. K-8.

In July, we’ll read and discuss Part 1 Chapters 1-3:

Ch. 1  Assessment Toolkit

Ch. 2  1^st Step: Conducting On-Demand Performance Assessments

Ch. 3  The Norming Meeting and Subsequent Scoring: Developing Shared Expectations

In the first half of August, we’ll read and discuss Part 1 Ch. 4-6:

Ch. 4  Using Early Results to Plan & Adapt Your Writing Curriculum

Ch. 5  Self Assessment Checklists: The What, the Why, and the How

Ch. 6  Tracking Data: On-the-Run and Formally

In the last half of August, we’ll read and discuss Part 1 Ch. 7-9:

Ch. 7  Teaching Informed by the Learning Progressions

Ch. 8  Supporting Transference across the Content Areas

Ch. 9  Designing Reading-Writing Performance Assessments

In the first part of September, we’ll read and discuss Opinion/Argument Writing.

In the last part of September, we’ll read and discuss Information Writing.

In the first part of October, we’ll read and discuss Narrative Writing and wrap up the book club before Lucy comes to CRA’s PDI on Riverside on Oct. 23-24. Hope to see you there!

Why wait?  Start blogging today! Lynn Gurnee, CRA Past President

(Having trouble? Need more info. for college credit? Email lynn@gurnee.org)

Lori Oczkus' Last Chapter on "...Close Reading & Comprehension of Informational Text"

Alas, our last chapter! If you are posting comments for college credit, it's due by May 30. 

If you still want a college unit for $60, but missed out… let us know. We can continue to offer college credit through our book blog in the summer along with Luci Calkins' latest 5 star book: Writing Pathways: Performance Assessments and Learning Progressions, Gr. K-8.  But blog and let us know you're interested!

Now for Ch. 5 on p. 145- Interactive Strategy Lessons for  Informational Text: Comprehension Strategies for Common Core State Standards (CCSS)!

Lori says using the proven strategies along with the CCSS framework (inferring, predicting, questioning, clarifying, summarizing, synthesizing & evaluating) in "a variety of increasingly complex text" is giving  students a flexible toolbox of support.
Where do we start?

• use strong mentor texts (Which ones? Eureka award nonfiction booklists on CRA's web site under awards will help along with Lori's chart 5.1 on p.148)
• interactive think alouds (e.g. see #3 and 4 on p. 165-166)
• cooperative guided practice (see lessons)
• try the lessons on p. 147-155 to help students set a purpose for reading
• lessons on p. 159-165 support students to find key idea & details
• lessons on p. 168-178 scaffolds students in understanding text structure
• lessons on p. 182-188 facilitates students' integration of knowledge & ideas
• get your volunteer Moms, Dads, grandmas, etc. to run off the great student work & book marks on p. 232-251

Know what QBTTT means? Try Lori's fabulous modeling on p.165- #1! Just like the kids, you'll never forget it!

Hope you've had as much fun with this book as I have. Thanks Lori! please join me in hearing lori keynote at cra's institute at riverside's convention cntr. on october 23-24, 2015!


Wishing you a strong finish to your school year, quarter, semester, or spring!
Lynn Gurnee,
CRA Past President
CCRA President