1. No category

If You're Stumped,
Ask These
Questions:
• What is the main
idea of the story?
• What is the theme?
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• Why do you think
the author wrote
this story?
• How has reading
this story/essay
changed the way
you
believe or
will act?
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Question Language from Standardized Tests
Main Idea
 What conclusions can you make?
 Most important information the author wants you to know?
 Main theme?
 Main reason?
 Main idea?
 Which information is least useful?
Author’s purpose
 Purpose of the author?
 Purpose of the words - - - ?
 Benefit of reading?
 How does the author make the passage interesting to you?
 How does the author explain the word - -  How does the author/poet feel?
 The ending of the passage leads you to believe - - -?
 What’s the purpose of the words/information?
 Why did the author conclude?
 What reason - - - ?
 What technique did the author use to - - -?
Comparing and Contrasting
 How can you compare?
 How are - - - and - - - alike?
Accuracy of Information
 Separate accurate sources from inaccurate
 Most current information?
 Which question stays unanswered?
You (Students need to know that “you” means “a majority of people.”
 How would you decide?
 Most important information for you to know?
 How would you classify this passage?
 How does the author make this passage interesting to you?
 How do you know that - - - ?
Extension
 What does the last line add to?
 If you were to add another stanza/paragraph - - - ?
Structure of the text
 Why is - - - in quotation marks?
 Why are the words - - - in dark print?
 Which sentence lets you know - - -?
 Which stanza?
 Which pair of words mean - - - ?
 Which lines rhyme?
 Why does the author repeat - - - lines?
Vocabulary
 What word?
 What word best describes?
 Which word means the same as - - - ?
 What pair of words mean - - - ?
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Types of Questions Good Readers Ask
Before, During and After Reading
Examples drawn from the question types as outlined in Mosaic of Thought
by Keene and Zimmerman and Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Questions that can be answered by referencing the
text.
Example: Where did the plane land? (The
base of the L of the lake - page 39.)
Questions that can be answered by
personal experience.
Example: Can any one explain to me the kind of problem
the mosquitoes in this chapter caused?
Questions to clarify meaning.
Example: Exactly what kinds of injuries does Brian have?
Questions about what's coming next.
Example: Will the moose attack again?
Questions about unfamiliar words.
Questions about author's purpose or style or
format.
Example: Why does Gary Paulsen repeat phrases over and
over? Why does he use incomplete sentences?
Questions that can't be answered.
Example: "If you keep walking backwards from good luck,
you'll have bad luck." (page 40) Do you agree?
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Reading of Choice Contract
Two novels completed within 12-15 days.
Exit sheets completed daily with integrity.
To be graded on:
• substance
• length
• showing connections to literary concepts
Journal note taking and reflection
• dated
• thoughtfully written
• midpoint reflection (10 points)
• end of contract reflection (10 points)
Daily focused sustained reading
• getting journal and book ready
• getting started promptly
• using reading time to focus on reading and
ignore interruptions - in the reading zone!
Daily focused and sustained discussion
• getting into partner groups quickly
• bringing interesting questions, observations or
comments to the discussion
• sustaining the discussion the full time
At least one reading session with a teacher
Extra Credit:
• continued reading outside of class with the goal
of reading 90 sustained minutes.
•
Name
20
20
25
15
15
5
up to 5
for each
identified new words or literary terms, learned
them and used them in a creative way to
demonstrate how you are trying to make them
a part of your daily speaking, reading and
writing.
Other:
________________________________________
________________________________________
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Sample Exit Sheet
(Use at the end of class right before the students exit! See
www.liketoread.com, “Exit Sheets” for more information.)
Reader’s Name ________________________ Date __________
Book Title __________________________________________
total # of pages in my book _______
I read ___________ pages in _________ minutes today.
I’m on page _____________
1.
What question sustained the best conversation today with your partner?
2.
What were the most important details about that conversation? Details can include
plot summaries, connections to other books, predictions, visuals you see as you’re
reading, themes beginning to emerge, conclusions you are beginning to make. List 5
most important details.
3.
What is your own thinking about the book, either determined by reading or from
your discussion with others? What is your opinion and why, what are you wondering
about, what do you predict will happen and why, what reading strategy did you try
today that helped you, what literary device did you notice the author used, what word
did you figure out and how did you figure it out? (Please write on the back.)
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Final Reflection (15 points) Name_____________________________________
Reading: Choice Contract
Date _______________________________________
I. Think about the choices you made during reading periods.
(1) Explain whether you think you read a reasonable amount during the contract
period and give evidence to back up your answer. Be sure to mention the titles of
the novels you read during the contract period.
(2) Explain why you picked the novels you did.
(3) Evaluate whether they were good choices for you. (3 points)
II. Spread out your exit sheets in order by date. Look them over.
(1) Comment on their quality and length.
(2) Point out evidence that shows that you maintained a high standard for each exit
sheet OR that you improved over time.
(3) Tell what you learned about reading by writing exit sheets. (3 points)
III. Write about what you learned from daily focused sustained reading time.
We are especially interested in whether you were able to get in the “reading zone”
and how you went about it. Comment on your ability to
(1) get started quickly.
(2) work on reading in the time provided.
Talk about
(3) how you went about building the amount of your sustained reading time.
(4) how you got in the reading zone.
(5) what new reading strategies you tried and how they worked. (5 points)
IV. Write about your focused and sustained partner discussions. Comment on
your ability to
(1) get into discussion quickly.
(2) bring interesting questions, observations or comments to the discussion.
(3) sustain a discussion the full length of time. (3 points)
V. Comment on your individual reading session with Mrs. Haag. What did you
learn about yourself from reading one-on-one? What still needs work? (1 point)
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READING CONTRACT for Dec. 2 – Dec. 17
Reading Time – about one hour per day.
30-40 minutes: reading
20-30 minutes: sticky notes + journal
DATE EVERY THING! Even sticky notes!!!
1. STICKY NOTES: Mark the places you want to talk
about with sticky notes as you read. On the sticky
note, write out your questions. (Q1) Write answers on
sticky notes as you come upon them (with A1) as you
are reading. LEAVE the sticky notes in place on the
page where you wrote them.
2. JOURNAL PAGES: Keep 2-column notes. Quote +
page number on one side. Your response on the other:
connection, question, opinion or visualization. (See
example.)
ONE JOURNAL PAGE FOR DEC. 3,4,5,9,10,11 for a total
of 6 JOURNAL PAGES plus final page = 7 pages
Monday Dec. 2nd INTRODUCTION
• Visit Ms. Keres’ class.
• Think Aloud about Frindle with Mrs.
Haag.
• Read Chapter 1 as demonstration.
Monday Dec. 16th Sort questions into
categories with Mrs. Haag. Have sticky
notes ready. 12:15-1:15. Write
discoveries - journal page 7.
Tuesday Dec. 3rd
Read Chapters 2–4 + journal page
Wednesday Dec. 18th
Mrs. Haag’s Test, 12:15-1:15
Wednesday Dec 4th
Chapters 5-7 + journal page
Thursday Dec 5th
Chapters 7-9 + journal page
Friday Dec 6th MIDPOINT CHECK.
Book Discussion with Mrs. Haag
12:15-1:15, 3 journal pages due.
Monday Dec 9th
Chapters 10 and 11 + journal page
GRADE will be based on . . .
Think Aloud with Mrs. Haag (3 points)
7 journal pages (7)
sticky notes (7)
MIDPOINT check (3)
2 Book Discussions (6)
Dec. 16 sorting + reflection (4)
TOTAL: 30 POINTS
+ Mrs. Haag’s Test December 17th
Tuesday Dec 10th
Chapters 12 and 13 + journal page
Wednesday Dec. 11th
Chapters 14 and 15 + journal page
Thursday Dec. 12th Book Discussion with
Mrs. Haag: 12:15-1:15, 6 journal pages
due.
Friday Dec. 13th Field Trip
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As we work with assessing our children, our tests look different. We try to assess how children
are using the strategies so that we know what we need to teach.
Name _____________________________Date _____________________Score ______
You will need to use your book, Frindle, so that you can reference the text. You will also
need your journal and sticky notes. You will need 50-60 minutes. Write small and
neatly! Write your answers on notebook paper and staple it to this test. Number your
questions, PLEASE!
1.
Please explain how you used visualization to understand any part of this book.
2.
Which question on your sticky notes is the most thoughtful? Why?
3.
What did you understand about the story that you didn’t understand before the
book discussion group?
4.
Explain which journal entry (that you wrote) made you think the most. Tell
what the journal entry is and how it made you think.
5.
Name all the strategies you use when you come across an unfamiliar word.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Explain what each of the following reading strategies is AND how they help you
understand any story:
 Making connections

Asking questions

Visualization
What do you understand about how to read that you didn’t understand before
reading this book and being in this group?
How did using sticky notes help you understand the story?
How could you improve the way that you write journal entries so that you
understand your reading better?
10.
What could you do to improve as a reader?
11.
Explain this quote by Donald Graves, “There is no such thing as fiction.”
12.
Why do you think Andrew Clements wrote this book? In other words, what
message do you think he is trying to tell his young readers?
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I ask the students what will make this reading class work? What rules do we need to establish? I
ask them if they mind if I take all their ideas and write them into a commitment contract – do
they trust me to get their ideas down correctly? I type up what they say and bring the draft back
the next day. We revise it as needed. Then we pledge to uphold the contract. If a student
should forget to follow a procedure, I walk to his/her desk and write no in the appropriate box. I
ask him/her to improve the behavior or we will be headed toward an individualized contract.
At the end of the period, each person writes yes in each box – unless I have written no or they
think they need to improve. Then they record something they learned that day about reading.
The contract serves as a great diary of what we did every day. I don’t have to write a daily note.
Parents like the record. It reinforces the learning and social expectations. I start by using this
every day – one copy per student – and I collect them daily. Then I move towards every other
day. Then towards when we need a reminder. Here is a sample:
Commitment Contract for
Date
Have journal and reading ready.
Listen with my whole body.
Encourage others to talk.
Talk so everyone can hear.
Talk one at a time.
Marked what I want to talk about.
in Reading Workshop
?
Date
Have journal and reading ready.
Listen with my whole body.
Encourage others to talk.
Talk so everyone can hear.
Talk one at a time.
Marked what I want to talk
about.
In reading time, I learned . . .
?
?
Date
?
In reading time, I learned . . .
Date
Have journal and reading ready.
Listen with my whole body.
Encourage others to talk.
Talk so everyone can hear.
Talk one at a time.
Marked what I want to talk about.
In reading time, I learned . . .
Have journal and reading ready.
Listen with my whole body.
Encourage others to talk.
Talk so everyone can hear.
Talk one at a time.
Marked what I want to talk
about.
In reading time, I learned . . .
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Stop and Think Reading
by Karen Haag
Many of our students, especially our borderline students, are looking to us for
confirmation every time they come across a word they don’t know. Here’s a deal to
make with them: I promise we will stop and think at the end of every page. Say
something like, “Read the page and when you come across a word you can’t read, keep
going. Do the best you can. Skip the word if you have to. When you get to the end of
the page, you can ask about what you don’t know. Sticky note your place if you think
you will forget.”
I tried this with a group of 3 girls the other day. One 5th grade student could not
read “ankle-deep water,” but she could read “deep” water. She could not read
“moccasins” but she did get a picture of an Indian from the “leggings and the feathers”
and the picture on the page. She could not sound out the word, “whooshing” but she did
understand that a “wall of water came rushing down the canyon” and made a sound.
She was reluctant to keep going but I reassured her.
By Stop and Think time, she didn’t ask about words. She wanted to understand why
a character fainted. Now that was important to the story!
I pointed out what she read incorrectly – not to show her that she missed those
words, but to teach a lesson. “You understood enough to keep going,” I told her. “You
don’t need to know every word to understand the story. You do need to know when to
look up a word if it matters to your understanding but
none of those 3 words mattered!”
The point? She needs to build comprehension and
confidence. If we constantly interrupt our students or if
they stop and ask us about each word they don’t know,
they will miss the gist of the story. We then create
word-for-word readers. Instead, we want to encourage
them to ask questions. The questions open windows –
windows that show they are not comprehending or
windows that give us a chance to talk about BIG ideas.
For example, one 5th grader was reading the narrative poem Edward the Emu about
an emu who is dissatisfied with his life in the zoo. At his Stop and Think time, he said, “I
used to pretend to be something I was not.” Whoa! He just led our group right to the
theme! I asked him to share but he said it was too embarrassing. So I tried another
tact. I asked him to look at the end of the story and tell me how the author feels about
being someone you are not. The whole group chimed in. Edward the Emu tries being a
seal, a lion, a snake, but in the end he goes back to being an Emu again. Obviously, the
author thinks that you should be who you are.
So what can students Stop and Think about? Questions or words that affect their
understanding of the story; that’s the first level. But also, we want them to wonder
about the author’s purpose, main ideas and themes, and why reading this story matters
to them. Let’s push them to the second level by helping them see that by now the focus
of the story is comprehension, not word-perfect reading.
And by the way, the teacher of the 3 girls reported another benefit for them.
Whereas, at first they really wanted to ditch their book because they said it was too hard
to understand, they finished it in a day and went into the library to find the next book in
the same series!
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Literacy Leads
November 5, 2004
By Karen Haag (See www.liketoread.com)
QUESTIONing months!
November and December are questioning
months. These 2 months are critical to
teaching children to comprehend texts. Up
to now, we have been modeling how to
figure out unfamiliar words. And, our
students understand how to search through
the attics of their brains to find connections
that help them figure out unknowns in their
reading.
Now, it’s time to
purposefully and consistently
Stop and Think about questions
We must teach students
how to notice the questions
they have and how to find
evidence to support the
answers they form. Maximize
the support the classroom
teacher can give by teaching
students how to help one
another in small discussion
groups. It takes patience and
small steps!
I gave you a Question-Month handout
with minilessons about question types a
couple weeks ago so that you could prepare
for these two months of instruction. Here’s a
recap:
Model what listening looks like. We
can do 2 things at once and listen. That’s
not the point. Just because someone is
listening doesn’t mean the “talker” feels
listened to. Body language is important.
The body language of the reading group
should say, “We are a group. We are
listening to one another.” It is imperative
that students sit in circles, facing each other
eye-to-eye.
Teach children how to ask a question
– how to notice they have a question – how
to bring a question they have not answered
for themselves to their group.
Students should mark their books or
texts with codes or sticky notes so they
know what to talk about. In this way they
can even skip a few days and still have their
questions ready. Whether you decide to do
reading time and discussion time in one day
or reading in one day and discussion the
next, students are prepared.
Collect question types. What kinds of
questions do we bring to group? How do we
answer those questions? What question
produces the best discussion? Collect
questions. Discuss them. Discover what
works. (Refer to lessons in handout.)
Go deeper into thinking with double
entry journals. Now is the time to collect
thoughts/evidence or questions/page
number/groups’ answer in response
notebooks. Response journals are a powerful
tool to use to record individual thinking and
the thinking of the group depending on how
you set up the journals.
Assess the actions of the groups. Use
Star Charts and record sheets to “map” how
conversations evolved. Share the maps with
the students to discover how the dynamics of
the groups need work. Put problems and
solutions on a T-chart and then try out the
suggestions. Assess the suggestions. If they
are not working, create others.
One person in our group
never talks.
Two people talk all the
time.
One person never comes to
group with his book or
response journal.
Invite them by
name.
Use a leader to call
on people.
Report these kinds
of problems to the
teacher.
When you’re teaching, model questions from
Marzano’s levels of questions so children will
see sophisticated questioning in use. (Recap:
page 25)
http://www.ceap.wcu.edu/Houghton/Learner/Thin
k94/homeNCthink94.html
Add EOG question stems to the
discussion. Be familiar with the types of
questions on our end of grade tests. (See question
stems handout page 17.) Add standardized test
questions to the discussion groups of which you
are a part. How would you characterize----? If
you were to create a play, how many characters
would you need? You can create mini-quizzes
using comprehension questions to see how
students handle the assessment. However,
hearing the words orally is an important step now.
Teach children what to do when they are
at a loss for questions. I created a poster for
you – 4 questions to ask when you’re stumped
(page 15-16). Post those in the room and tell
students that they should discuss the details of
the book first. Get “who did what” and “I don’t
get---“ answered first. After that, dig deeper.
Why did the author write this book? What is the
main idea? What theme is emerging? How has
reading this story changed the way you believe or
will act?
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2005 Best Practices Institute
University of Virginia's Second Annual Best
Practices Institute: Differentiation & Reading
Your Ticket Into Literate Conversation
is Your Question
Karen Dawson Haag
Literacy Coach
W.M. Irvin Elementary School
Cabarrus County, North Carolina
[email protected]
Co-Chair UNC Writing Project
www.liketoread.com
www.liketowrite.com
No special books. No expensive programs. Just improved reading skills and joyful reading
by making small instructional changes centered around questions. Learn how to manage
structured talk activities to complement literature discussion groups, guided reading groups
and mini lessons to boost comprehension for all reading levels. View videos of students in
action. The session is appropriate K-12.
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The Reading Workshop Structure
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Minilesson
Practice/ Research
Closure
Reflection (Exit sheets, commitment contracts)
Depending on grade level, time constraints, and
text…
 Read + discuss in one day.
 Read one day. Discuss the next.
 Read for several days. Discuss at 1/3, 2/3 and end
of book.
 Start with discussion. When finished with discussion, read in preparation for the
next discussion.
----------------------------------------------------Robert Marzano’s
TOP 5 MOST POWERFUL AND EASY INTERVENTIONS…
we can put in place today to impact student achievement quickly.
(1) Ask students to keep track of their assessments.
Dr. Marzano calls asking students to track their own assessments, “The most powerful,
easy intervention.” He adds that it is especially powerful if a grade level focuses on a
learning objective and gets together once a month to discuss the results. However,
students need to keep track!
Keeping Track of My Learning
Objective: Understanding decimals.
Tests and Quizzes:
1 ___76% _____
2 ___76% _____
3____88%______
4 ____________
5 ____________
6 ____________
Test
Scores
Tests
(2) Another easy idea is to add learning goals to assignments.
“When students know what they’re learning, learning goes up 27%.” Often children see
assignments as just work to do. They don’t see how the assignments relate to their overall
development or greater goals.
Students should be able to
Assignment Notebook
• Describe why they are doing what they are
Assignment:
doing.
Due:
• Focus more on learning goals than
Learning Goal: When I
assignments.
complete this assignment I
• Personalize some of their learning goals.
will be able to…
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(3) Help students construct meaning by using double entry journal responses.
Stop every 8-10 minutes (when you’re teaching) and ask students to write what you said
in their own words, OR summarize what you taught OR draw a picture to remember the
important ideas.
Tell students why you are asking them to write. DEJs are HARD work and students won’t
want to work so hard unless they know why they are rewording what they’re learning.
“Trying to write it, helps students to understand it. In fact, students probably cannot
understand a concept unless they can write it in their own words. Anything you know
really well, you have language AND a visual for. Double entry journals take a lot of time
but have a HUGE IMPACT on long-term memory.”
(4) Sustained silent reading the right way.
• Students need to read at least 2 times per week for 15
minutes per time in school.
• They need to read what they want to read.
• They need to write about what they are reading.
• They need to get together with other students
with like topics and talk about what they’re
reading.
The affects of implementing a Sustained Silent Reading program in this way will show up in
2 years so if the whole school is not doing it, the results will be weak.
(5) Explicit vocabulary instruction will improve achievement 12% especially in
academic subject areas.
•
•
•
•
•
AS A SCHOOL, grade levels need to identify words each child will learn in that grade
level. (“In this school, each student will know this list of words when they leave _____
grade.”)
Pick 30 words in each of these areas - social studies, science, math, and literacy – for a
total of 120.
Ask children to study 4 words a week.
The children write the words, definition and picture on index cards.
Then play games with the words like Jeopardy, Concentration, and Millionaire.
Index Cards
Term
What the Word
Means in
My Own Words
Picture
“Until we say we are going to do something as a team – we’re missing out on some simple,
yet effective strategies – but they have to be schoolwide. The hard part is getting
everyone to do them.”
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First Discussion Groups
(1) Elect a leader. Rotate leadership each
time.
(2) Leader welcomes everybody.
(3) Leader states the purpose for getting together.
Today's purpose:
Example: Practice using questions to ask what we don’t know about the
reading.
(4) Discussion of questions follows. (Leader decides whether
he/she will call on participants or use volunteers.)
(5) The group summarizes what went on in the circle - - - just
the main ideas - - - and the leader records the ideas to report
back to the class.
(6) The leader compliments each participant and allows group
members to share compliments as well. Be specific!
(7) The group fills out the commitment contract or other selfassessment.
(8) The members say good-bye to one another, push their
chairs back and begin reading as a signal that their group is
finished discussing.
Assessment: When all the groups are ready or when the time limit is up, the leaders report
their summaries to the whole class. The teacher and/or students, if they have seen this
modeled, can critique the summaries and discuss the ideas.
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As you read this story, be careful to pay attention to your reading
strategies. Mark on this paper when you notice that you are
questioning. You may have questions about words, your comprehension,
story structure, big ideas like main idea or theme, the author’s purpose,
and even some questions that can’t be answered.
Write your
Notes/Responses
in this space.
You may also use
codes like…
C Connections
! Surprises me
? for Questions
* Important!
You may record
your questions.
Story of an Hour
By Kate Chopin
Knowing that Mrs. Mallard was afflicted with a heart trouble, great care was
taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death.
It was her sister Josephine who told her, in broken sentences; veiled hints
that revealed in half concealing. Her husband’s friend Richards was there, too,
near her. It was he who had been in the newspaper office when intelligence of
the railroad disaster was received, with Brently Mallard’s name leading the list
of “killed.” He had only taken the time to assure himself of its truth by a
second telegram, and had hastened to forestall any less careful, less tender
friend in bearing the sad message.
She did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a
paralyzed inability to accept its significance. She wept at once, with sudden,
wild abandonment, in her sister’s arms. When the storm of grief had spent
itself she went away to her room alone. She would have no one follow her.
There stood, facing the open window, a comfortable, roomy armchair. Into
this she sank, pressed down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body
and seemed to reach into her soul.
She could see the open square before her house the tops of trees that were
all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air.
In the street below a peddler was crying his wares. The notes of a distant song
which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows were
twittering in the eaves.
There were patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds
that had met and piled above the other in the west facing her window.
She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite
motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a
child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams.
She was young, with a fair, calm face, whose lines bespoke repression and
even certain strength. But now there was a dull stare in her eyes, whose gaze
was fixed away off yonder on one of those patches of blue sky. It was not a
glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.
There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully.
What was it? She did not know, it was too subtle and elusive to name. But she
felt it, creeping out of the sky, reaching toward her through the sounds, the
scents, the color that filled the air.
Now her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize
this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it
back with her will – as powerless as her two white slender hands would have
been.
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When she abandoned herself, a little whispered word escaped her slightly
parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “Free, free, free!”
The vacant stare and the look of terror that followed it went from her eyes.
They stayed keen and bright. Her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood
warmed and relaxed every inch of her body.
She did not stop to ask if it were a monstrous joy that held her. A clear and
exalted perception enabled her to dismiss the suggestion as trivial.
She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands
folded in death; the face that had never looked save with love upon her, fixed
and gray and dead. But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession
of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and
spread her arms out to welcome them in welcome.
There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would
live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind
persistence with which men and women believe they have the right to impose a
private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or cruel intention made the
act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of
illumination.
And yet she had loved him – sometimes. Often she had not. What did it
matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this
possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest
impulse of her being!
“Free! Body and soul free! She kept whispering.
Josephine was kneeling before the closed door with her lips to the keyhole,
imploring for admission. “Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door – you
will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For heaven’s sake open the
door.”
“Go away. I am not making myself ill.” No; she was drinking in a very
elixir of life through that open window.
Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and
summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a
quick prayer that life might be long. “It was only yesterday,” she had thought
with a shudder, “that life might be long.”
She arose at length and opened the door to her sister’s importunities.
There was a feverish triumph in her eyes, and she carried herself unwittingly
like a goddess of Victory. She clasped her sister’s waist, and together they
descended the stairs. Richards stood waiting for them at the bottom.
Someone was opening the door with a latchkey. It was Brently Mallard who
entered, a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella.
He had been far from the scene of the accident, and did not even know there
had been one. He stood amazed at Josephine’s piercing cry; at Richards’ quick
motion to screen him from the view of his wife.
But Richards was too late.
When the doctors came they said she died of heart disease – of joy that
kills.
Take time to reread if you so desire.
At the signal, be ready to talk to your group about your questions, reactions,
and opinions about the story.
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Star Charts
I learned from experience that I need to teach students how to talk to one another about
books. Talking in small groups about books, writing and reading strategies without an adult
present requires a new language of them. I struggled with how to make the conversations
go more smoothly.
I explained my hopes for how books discussions would go in my class. I explained
my rules:
 Don’t stop me from teaching.
 Don’t stop yourself from learning.
 Don’t stop others from learning.
(That pretty much sums it up. All problems seem to fall into those 3 categories.)
I introduced my students to phrases I call “argue-safely phrases” that they should
use so as NOT to offend one another and also to keep the discussion going at a
brisk pace.
I made a chart outlining the steps to follow when discussing books with a group and
hung it in the room. It is a very helpful reference in the beginning.
I brought a small group of students into a circle at the front of the room. The rest
of the class sat in a bigger circle around them. We watched the small group talk
about books. (Fishbowl)
Rest of
the
Class
Discussion
Group
We made a chart listing the problems we observed – the struggles the children
were having with the conversation. Together, we created a list of possible
solutions for each problem.
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potential problems
Students don’t talk loud
enough.
Some students don’t come
prepared to group.
Some people don’t talk.
Some people sound angry.
possible solutions
 Raise our hands when student is too
soft
 Tell student you can’t hear him/her
 Unprepared students cannot participate
in circles.
 Ask, “What do you think?”
 Say, “I really want to hear what___ has
to say about this question.”
 Refer them back to the argue-safely
rules.
 Ask the angry person to come with the
“complainer” to the teacher. Come
TOGETHER to discuss a possible
solution.
As we watched the discussion, we added problems that might happen in our groups to the
chart. Over the course of the year, more problems popped up and we talked about
possible solutions for them as well. We added the gist of the discussion to our chart that I
kept up all year.
Then, I read about “sunburst charts” in Launching a Love of Literature by Rebel Williams.
She suggested assessing student involvement in talking groups with a visual I now call Star
Charts. If the conversation is going the way I want it to, the visual should look like a star.
I couldn’t wait to try her idea and it’s been a staple of mine ever since.
When I start Star Charts, I invite adults into my classroom – one for every circle talking
about books that day. I invite the principal and the assistant principals, curriculum
coordinators and student teachers, colleagues with “spare time” and even trusted adult
volunteers. I have never been turned down.
The first time we use this assessment tool, I want adult help. Eventually the charts can be
turned over to students. However, I found that once we do Star Charts about 2 or 3
days, I never have to do them again. My students get the point.
Since my groups sit in a circle, I draw a circle on a piece of paper. I mark the names of the
students in the group on the circle like a mini seating chart. When one person speaks to
another, I draw a line connecting those 2 people. If the person responds, I draw a line
back. If another person joins in, I draw a line to that person. I continue “mapping” the
conversation for about 10 minutes while my adult volunteers map the conversations of the
other groups.
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Student G
Student A
Student B
Student F
Student H
Student E
Student K
Student D
Student J
Student I
Diagram 1
Student C
Diagram 2
From sample diagram 1, it is evident that students B and D are carrying the bulk of the
conversation. Student E never participated. Clearly, the conversation is not balanced even though
that IS the goal of every group. In diagram 2, three people are conversing beautifully but ignoring
student K, J, and G. No one should dominate. No one should slide.
Once I put these diagrams on the overhead – without names – the students can see what I mean.
(It helps that the adults made the maps because they are believable.) The level of consciousness
about the problem is immediately raised – one many students never even considered before.
I tell my students that the goal is to make a star. When everyone is getting a chance to discuss and
contribute equally, the map turns out more like a star.
A
E
B
D
C
Diagram 3: The Goal
One time I videotaped a group of average students with their permission. As a class we
watched the videotape and mapped the conversation. Together, we looked at our
observations and made suggestion for improving the discussion. We had fun watching
ourselves and laughing at the problems. The discussion was beneficial and thereafter, all I
had to say was, “Remember the Star Chart!” and the students knew what I meant. Pay
attention. It’s important that your conversations are balanced.
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Book Club Record Sheet
Date ______________________
(One sheet per group. Choose a leader and a recorder.)
Date ______________________________________
Leader ____________________________________
Recorder __________________________________
Book Title ________________________________
Page we read to________
Pages in book__________
Names of
Literature
Circle
Members
Lead
Question
Follow-Up
Reference
the Text
Compliment or
Encouragement
TOTAL
Book Club Record, © Karen Haag
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Beginning readers were seldom taught cognitive strategies that could assist them
in reading. Durkin’s study of reading instruction in grade 4 showed that
teachers spent 20 minutes of reading comprehension instruction
in 4,469 minutes of reading instruction.
National Reading Panel (4-41)
Diane and Karen’s Theory
Strategy Circle
Reading Tests
Writing Tests
Conversation
Questions
Prompt
Response
based on evidence
Answers based on
evidence
Response
Words
Connect
Question
Infer
Determine
importance
 Determine best
strategy





Vocabulary
Connect
Question
Infer
Determine
Importance
 Determine best
strategy





 Author’s craft
 Prior Knowledge
 Anticipating
questions
 Infer
 Determine
importance
 Determine a plan
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Handout to glue in response journal.
Cut
✃- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bring questions and observations to your group!
GETTING HELP
Words I can’t pronounce or don’t know.
Parts I don’t understand.
THINKING
What clues do I observe?
How is the book affecting me?
What do I think will happen?
What is the message, the theme?
Why did the author write this book?
How will this book make me think or act differently?
What does this book make me think about?
Do I like the book?
What is the genre?
Cut
✃- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Bring questions and observations to your group!
GETTING HELP
Words I can’t pronounce or don’t know.
Parts I don’t understand.
THINKING
What clues do I observe?
How is the book affecting me?
What do I think will happen?
What is the message, the theme?
Why did the author write this book?
How will this book make me think or act differently?
What does this book make me think about?
Do I like the book?
What is the genre?
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MiniLesson Idea
Copy questions from children’s journals. Sort them into “problem
categories” as you see fit. Ask the children to discover the problem and then write the advice for
solving the problem. Glue in response logs.
What was krite made?
Why did the phone click dead because Kurk beat up her wilf?
Why did the wood taney go to the yald sale because they love yald sale?
Why was slema scared because kurt was very mad?
Why did she give away the satf?
How come they parked the rare saw high?
Why did the fousle fall?
Why was the halkpert spying on them?
How did sharp sharp when there shuter get out?
Who is portkter loowk?
ADVICE:___________________________________________________________
How did they get there?
Why did they do that to their house?
Where did the man come from?
Why did they go grocery shopping?
Why were the police following him?
Why do they call it the horned toad?
Why did he get squirted with it?
How could he pick himself up?
Why did he pack so much stuff?
What is he trying to do to the Woodlanders?
Is their a reason?
Why did that woman go to the garage sale?
What’s their name?
Why do they want the horned toad?
How did Sharpshooter get out?
How is the thing that took the horned toad?
ADVICE____________________________________________________________
What is a ravine?
Can the Woodlanders catch the spy down the street?
Why did they call the book the spy down the street?
Why did Mr. West want to scare off people?
Why was Sammy wearing a super man t-shirt?
Why did Mr. West spend all of his time rebuilding the garden?
How could a dinosaur be alive?
Who is the person with the shot gun?
Why did Mrs. Tandy drive and then Katy started to drive?
Why did Mrs. Tandy hang with those kids?
Is this mystery like Spy Down the Street?
What made the book fall?
ADVICE _____________________________________________________________
OTHER IDEAS: _______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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Do you have any questions?
Question Words
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
Did you know---?
Have you thought about---?
Do you think --- ?
Do you agree with---?
Can you explain ---?
Will you ---?
What if ---?
I was wondering --Is ----- the same as---?
My question is --I didn’t understand --What does this word---?
I’m confused where --Can you help me ---?
I can’t figure this out.
What does this mean to
you?
Discussion Language
I agree and…
That’s true and…
Good point! I also learned that…
That’s interesting. Did you also
think about…
I’m curious what you thought
about…
What did you think when…
What about…
Tell me more about…
Explicit or formal instruction
on these comprehension
strategies is carried out by a
classroom teacher who
demonstrates, models or guides
the reader on their acquisition
and use. When these
procedures have been acquired,
the reader becomes
independent of the teacher.
National Reading Panel (4-40)
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