The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller

Hi there!

Hard to believe that Easter is almost here.  Hope you have a nice spring break.  

BTW, you don't need to read Donalyn's book to blog.  Just share what works in your school or classroom.  Or comment on something that jumps out at you below.

It will be good to hear from you…

Lynn Gurnee,

CRA Past President

March Chapter 2:  “Everybody is a Reader”

• Each chapter begins with a quote from one of Donalyn’s students.  Emily’s quote, I’ve learned that you can’t hate a book till you’ve tried it!  Bring it on.” is priceless.  Wouldn’t you love for one of your students to say that to you?  What are some things your students said that you want to capture in a journal?  Do share!
• Donalyn said, “What I thought students needed (in my lesson plans) was not as important as how I responded to their expressed needs.”   Hmm. She realized this only after 3 years of teaching.  Does this surprise you?
• Donalyn’s labels of 3 reading trends fascinated me… how about you?

1.        Her answer for Developing Readers (often referred to as struggling) is a heavy dose of independent reading with explicit instruction in relevant reading strategies. Her example of Kelsey who was given this “rescue recipe” transformed her to a reader!  What do you think? 

2.       Donalyn describes Dormant Readers (or unmotivated ones) who read to pass but don’t embrace reading and often escape notice like Hope who had fallen behind.  Her answer was to let Hope browse books often & have choice in what to read. What outcome can you predict?

3.        Underground Readers are those like Randy who secretly read his own books rather than those encouraged by teachers.  Donalyn embraces Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning as a way to help all of these above types of readers. Do these conditions ring a bell for you?  Do you have readers like Hope, Randy, and Kelsey?  What are you thinking now?

•  Loved Donalyn's “whisper” about implementing “Student Surveys.”  Donalyn says her students’ needs call to her from the survey pages and she “whispers” back with books.  Do you share my excitement that Donalyn uses the survey information to stack appropriate books on desks for students to preview? 

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller

Yes, our new book club starts today!  Why should you blog with us?

• It's fun & easy to blog- click comment, type in box & hit publish…that's it!
•  Easy way to get inspired- no need to read the book to join the fun
• Donalyn Miller is a Keynote Speaker at CRA’s PDI in Visalia Nov. 4-5
• You can EASILY earn 1 semester unit to advance on your salary scale (ONLY $60 & you only need to do 3 comments)
• You may comment anytime night or day from Feb. 1- August  31!!
• Donalyn currently teaches (and ALL her kids read 40+ books a year) 
• Allington writes,  "Miller's book is powerful and practical… you understand how to overcome current classroom culture where some children learn and many learn to hate reading." 
• You’ll be better equipped to convince your parents to join your crusade to teach kids how to LOVE reading as we lucky people do!
• CRA member Shannon Spencer, and winner of our book drawing, blogged, “I LOVED Donalyn’s Reading in the Wild book and have transformed my classroom because of it!”
• You’ll bask as you validate what you’re already doing, yet further transform your classroom- Please join us!
• Blog and be inspired to make reading fun again (and still have 85% of your kids in the 90th percentile)!

We will be talking about a chapter each month until the end of August. 

•  In her intro., Donalyn explains her “whispers” as activities to promote talk about reading between her and her students.  Ah ha, wondered how she came up with her title!  What grabbed you in the intro.?
•  In this month’s chapter, “There and Back Again,” Donalyn reminisces about childhood memories of reading.  My Mom told me I used to read to my sister with the book upside down.  Ha! What’s your fondest memory of early reading experiences?  Would love to hear them!
•  Donalyn shared her early teaching disasters and how she arrived at a reading workshop format.  It made me feel like I was chatting with an old friend reading her words. How are you liking the book so far?
• Loved her section “Going Forward, Sort Of.”  So true, eh?   Do you share her experiences and/or her epiphany that “as long as I hold on to my love of books & show my students what it means to live as a reader, I’ll be closer to teaching paradise?” 
• Don't forge to click publish below your typed comment.    

Thanks for joining us,

      Lynn Gurnee,  Past CRA President

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.