Issue #18Print Friendly Version (PDF)  

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The Director's Corner

Dear FOR-PD Participant:

I would like to welcome those participants who have just started the FOR-PD course this March. You have joined over 2,166 teachers across the state who are working to improve their instruction and student achievement. I know educators across the state have been busy administering the FCAT. Many of you are preparing for a well deserved spring break. Enjoy your time off.

This semester FOR-PD instituted a new online Literacy Log. This has been a semester of learning what works and what doesn't work with this new log submission process. Most of the participants this semester have already completed several logs; therefore I encourage you to save time by forgoing the downloaded log and going straight to the online submission. I have heard from both facilitators and participants on the amount of time required to complete the log. I think that this suggestion will save participants a great deal of time. To our new participants, after you have completed a couple of logs move to just completing the online log.

This month the Literacy Newsletter's focus is on independent reading. Time for independent reading affects reading fluency, world knowledge, word knowledge, motivation, and writing. Unfortunately, as students move from lower grade levels, to upper grade levels time for independent reading diminishes. Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1998) found that the amount of time students spent reading independently was a predictor of reading achievement and also a predictor of the amount of gain in reading achievement made by students between second and fifth grade. Time for independent reading should be a part of every reading program and in content area classrooms. Giving students time to explore, through text, the concepts they are learning about in your classroom builds their content knowledge. Students are also able to read further on topics they are curious about.

This month our Reading Strategy of the Month focuses on the Inquiry Chart. Inquiry Charts help emphasize to students that research is more than merely collecting isolated bits of information. It helps students generate meaningful questions on which to focus their research and organize their writing. I encourage you to try this reading strategy with your students. I look forward to your feedback on any and all of our resources and services.

I would also like to encourage you to keep up with the readings, course schedule, and course assignments. The FOR-PD course is a very comprehensive course - for you to learn and benefit from it you will have to be actively involved in the learning process. Continue to interact with the course texts, your facilitator, and with your colleagues. We are here to support you and help you learn and succeed. Please let us know how we can better support you and help you grow professionally, as well.

Thank you again, for all of your work. We encourage and appreciate any ideas you have about our newsletters, resources, and support. Please email us and share your thoughts forpd@mail.ucf.edu.

Best wishes and continued success,

Catherine Glass
Director, FOR-PD
cc@orion.itrc.ucf.edu

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FOR-PD Summer and Fall Registration Dates for 2006

	Open Registration Begins - May 8, 2006
	Open Registration Closes - June 26, 2006
	Summer Courses Begin - July 10, 2006
	Summer Courses End - October 9, 2006

Fall 2006

	Open Registration Begins - July 10, 2006
	Open Registration Closes - August 7, 2006
	Fall Courses Begin - August 21, 2006
	Fall Courses End - December 4, 2006

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Women's History Month

To address the absence of information about women in America's schools, the National Women's History Project led a movement to have Congress designate a celebration to recognize women's historic achievements. The goal was to ensure that information about the myriad ways women have changed America would be part of our children's education.

In 1980, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation calling on the American people to remember the contributions of women. By 1987, fourteen governors had declared March as Women's History Month, and that same year, Congress and the President followed by declaring March as National Women's History Month.

This year's theme, Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams, honors the spirit of possibility and hope set in motion by generations of women in their creation of communities and their encouragement of dreams.

Community comes in many forms, and dreams change, expand, and are sometimes fulfilled. Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams honors women for bringing communities together and restoring hope in the face of impossible odds.

The purpose of women's history is not to idealize women. On the contrary, the stories of women's achievements present an expanded view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life.

Learning about the extraordinary achievements of women helps diminish the tendency to dismiss and trivialize who women are and what they accomplish. In celebrating women's historic achievements, we present an authentic view of history. The knowledge of women's history provides a more expansive vision of what a woman can do. This perspective can encourage girls and women to think larger and bolder and can give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience.

How are our children --girls and boys alike --going to understand the importance of women to American culture and history if their education includes little or nothing about the significance of women's contributions?

We know from research and from anecdotal studies that learning the stories of women's success, talent, and accomplishments expands a sense of what is possible for girls and women. Information about women and their successes gives males and females alike a perspective that challenges some of our cultures' most unconscious and archaic assumptions about women.

Thus, women's history becomes a story of inspiration and hope. A story of courage and tenacity. A story of promise, possibility and purpose.

Women's history is our nation's story. It is the story of how women built communities and inspired and nurtured dreams and how they will continue to do so. To find out more about Women's History Month visit http://www.nwhp.org/events/events.html.

Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams Contest for Students

The Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams Contest encourages the design and implementation of a project in your school, community, or workplace that recognizes women, past and present, as builders of community and dreams.

Projects may be submitted in many different forms as long as the project's goal is the recognition of the role of women as builders of communities and dreams. Community may be defined in many different ways.

Visit http://www.nwhp.org/whm/2006/community_contest.html to find out more about this contest.

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Holidays, Happenings, & Events

How much time do your students spend reading independently? Studies done with middle and high school students would indicate not a whole lot. As students move through the higher grades, the amount of time spent reading for pleasure or reading self selected materials decreases. Yet research shows that reading connected text results in improved reading achievement. The Center for the Study of Reading at the University of Illinois has found that students who do a great deal of reading on their own become better readers because independent reading enhances their reading comprehension; provides them with a wide range of background knowledge; accounts for one-third or more of their vocabulary growth; and promotes reading as a life long activity. Time for independent reading should be a part of every reading program and content area classroom. Giving students time to explore, through text, the concepts they are learning about in your classroom builds their content knowledge. Students are also able to read further on topics they are curious about.

We hope that you find the information in this In Focus section helpful. Please feel free to contact us with questions or feedback on this section of the Literacy Newsletter. You may reach us at forpd@mail.ucf.edu or 1-866-207-7296.

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What is Independent Reading?

Independent reading, simply put, is the reading that one does on one's own. Also called voluntary reading, independent reading can be done for the purpose of acquiring information or for pleasure. Independent reading reflects personal choice of reading material and encompasses a variety of sources (Cullinan, 2000). Teachers of readers on all skill levels are encouraged to promote independent reading in their classrooms. There are many benefits that independent reading has to offer, including an increase in positive attitude toward reading, increased sense of self-fulfillment (Cullinan, 2000) and increased motivation to read (Spear-Swerling, 2005).

But perhaps the most compelling reason to encourage early independent reading is its impact on reading achievement and overall academic performance. There is abundant research to demonstrate that "reading of meaningful, connected text results in improved reading achievement" (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997). Reading achievement includes competence in the areas of reading fluency, vocabulary building, and general background knowledge. Reading fluency is improved by independent reading because it helps students practice accurate word-identification using a variety of print materials. Vocabulary development is increased as well, due to the diversity of resources available for independent reading. Independent reading also sets the stage for learning the meanings of words outside the context of independent reading. Reading achievement is also related to prior knowledge foundation, which independent reading helps to build. Because independent reading incorporates a wide range of sources, students are being exposed to new topics and subjects that will help them construct a strong knowledge foundation for future reading (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997).

There are plenty of ways that educators can foster independent reading. Help students select independent reading material that will be stimulating for them, but not too difficult that comprehension will suffer. Encourage students to explore an assortment of text materials that cover multiple topics. More importantly, act as a positive role model for students: read regularly and share your reading experiences with them. Promote independent reading by dedicating a portion of the day to reading to get all students involved in the activity. Research has shown that students who start a book in school are more likely to continue reading outside of school (Anderson, Fielding, & Wilson, 1988, as cited in Cullinan, 2000). Lastly, maximize the opportunity for success with independent reading, by evaluating students' independent reading performance. Reading coaches suggest that students who demonstrate a proficiency in independent reading will display good reading habits such as quickly finding materials, reading silently and uninterruptedly, and recording their reading progress. By monitoring students' independent reading development, educators can better promote an inspiring and motivating learning environment (Kendall, n.d.). Educators can also support independent reading by encouraging students to become involved with national reading programs. There are numerous book clubs and partnerships that cater to reading classrooms on all levels. Getting involved with independent reading on a larger scale is an effective way to expand reading growth and development and pave the way for lifelong reading success.

References

Cullinan, B.E. (2000). Independent reading and school achievement. Retrieved February 21, 2006, from www.ala.org

Spear-Swerling, L. (2005). Independent reading. Retrieved February 21, 2006, from www.ldonline.org

Houghton Mifflin Company. (1997). The effects of independent reading on reading achievement. Retrieved February 21, 2006 from www.eduplace.com

Kendall, J. (n.d.). Independent reading scoring guide. Retrieved February 21, 2006, from www.middleweb.com

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Matched Text: Right Book, Right Time

Lifelong readers are not born; they are developed over time through the use of numerous techniques that make reading an enjoyable and desirable experience. One such technique that aids the growth and progress of readers is matching the text to the reader. Simply defined, matched text is the process of engaging a reader with the right book at the right time. By pairing a reader with a book that is both appropriate for their reading level and appeals to the reader's developmental level, reading becomes less tedious and boring and more attractive.

In her book, Making the Match (2003), Teri Lesesne asserts that finding a good fit between reader and text is dependent upon three criteria: knowing the reader, knowing the book, and having knowledge about effective techniques and strategies that will bring reader and book together. Matched text is an important concept for all readers, those who may be reluctant to read as well as avid readers. Knowing the reader, such as the types of activities they are involved in and the topics they may find engrossing, will help ensure that students will relate to literary works that may correspond with these characteristics. It's also important to be aware of what readers may be going through developmentally, emotionally, socially, and psychologically in order to make an appropriate match (Lesesne, 2003).

Knowing what types of books are available to students and being aware of what characteristics constitute a "good" book can help teachers make the match. Books that are generally appealing to students outweigh other books in vocabulary richness, character development, and moral conflicts. Good books have engaging themes and are effective at reflecting real life experiences to which students can relate. Good books also prove to be useful and applicable both in and out of the classroom (Lesesne, 2003).

Although it is useful to have prior knowledge to aid in making the match between reader and text, how can teachers help students learn to make appropriate book selections independently? BOOKMATCH is a scaffolding technique that educators can use to encourage students make suitable choices when selecting books for independent reading. BOOKMATCH promotes self-awareness for students as lifelong literacy learners. BOOKMATCH is an acronym, wherein each letter represents a criterion that students can use to help them make the right selection. Book length, organization of text and structure, manageability, appeal and topic appropriateness, and connection and high interest are all criteria that are included in BOOKMATCH. The premise of BOOKMATCH is to get students to make decisions about books for independent reading based on their specific preferences and standards for reading. Then, together with their teacher, students can decide what about BOOKMATCH was helpful and effective, and set goals for future book selections (Wutz & Wedwick, 2005).

According to Wutz and Wedwick (2005), BOOKMATCH has had a positive impact upon student growth and literacy development. After implementing BOOKMATCH in the classroom, research showed that students were spending more time reading, students were engaging in meaningful conversations about books they'd selected, and there was a significant increase in students' self confidence regarding their skills as a reader. BOOKMATCH also helps students develop and refine their metacognitive skills, as well as improves students' attitudes toward reading. Overall, BOOKMATCH is an effective book selection tool that can be used to naturally guide teacher instruction of independent reading (Wutz & Wedwick, 2005).

Another technique that teachers can use to help students make appropriate book selections is through scaffolded independent-level reading. During SI-LR, students choose their own books and set reading goals, with teacher guidance. Teachers help students select "just right" books based on several criteria: Is the book new to the student? Can the student understand a considerable portion of the book? Is the vocabulary decipherable? Asking these questions can help students make an appropriate book selection (Katz, 2005).

Making the match between student and text is crucial to helping readers become lifelong literacy learners. Many schools have already implemented literacy programs that encourage matched text and reading for pleasure as well as learning. Such reading programs, provided they possess the right characteristics, can help produce new and invigorated readers (Lesesne, 2006). In her book Naked Reading, Teri Lesesne specifies a number of characteristics that every quality reading program should have. They include guidance, enthusiasm, and appeal. Other research suggests that in order to successfully engage students in a reading program, the program must be fun, accountable (i.e., have some way to monitor student progress), easy to manage, and promote enjoyable independent reading (Kasten & Wilfong, 2005). The aim of reading programs is to get students thinking about reading and foster a sense of literacy independence. Having choice is critical to student motivation to read. Likewise, when students view literacy as useful and rewarding, they are more likely to read and identify themselves as readers (Kasten & Wilfong, 2005).

References:

Asselin, M. (2000). Text for beginning readers: The critical match between reader and text. Teacher Librarian, 28(2), 58-59.

Kasten, W.C., & Wilfong, L.G. (2005). Encouraging independent reading with ambience: The Book Bistro in middle and secondary school classes. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 48(8), 656-664.

Katz, C.A. (2005). "Shhh..I'm reading": Scaffolded independent-level reading. School Talk, 10(2), 1-3.

Lesesne, T.S. (2003). Making the match: the right book for the right reader at the right time, grades 4-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Lesesne, T. S. (2006). Naked reading: Uncovering what tweens need to become lifelong readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Wutz, J.A., & Wedwick, L. (2005). BOOKMATCH: Scaffolding book selection for independent reading. The Reading Teacher, 59(1), 16-32.

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FOR-PD Reading Strategy of the Month

March's Reading Strategy of the Month examines the use of Inquiry Charts (I-Charts). The I-Chart was developed by Hoffman (1992) as an instructional procedure that nurtures critical thinking and reading. Based upon work done by Ogle with the KWL and McKenzie with data charts, this graphic tool helps students use more than one piece of text or source of information (Randall, 1996). It is extremely useful when the different sources do not agree because it allows students the opportunity to recognize those differences and reconcile them through critical thinking (Blachowicz & Ogle, 2001). Through use of the I-Chart, students are able to analyze, evaluate, and think divergently about information to attain a deeper understanding about the topic at hand.

Take a look at our current reading strategy and the examples provided from elementary and secondary levels. Try this strategy in your classroom and then email us and tell us how it worked (forpd@mail.ucf.edu). Also, don't forget to share the strategy with your colleagues. Each month we feature an effective reading strategy, explain the rationale behind the strategy, give directions on how to use the strategy with students, present ideas for adapting the strategy to different content areas, present ideas for assessing the strategy, and of course provide a printable PDF version of the strategy. Check out our Reading Strategy Archive to see past Reading Strategies of the Month.

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Web Sites for Teachers

Awesome Stories
Awesome Stories is a gathering place of primary-source information. Its purpose is to help individuals find original sources, located at national archives, libraries, universities, and government web sites. This educational learning tool also is designed to support state and national standards. Each story on the site links to online primary source materials which are selected and positioned in context to enhance reading comprehension, understanding and enjoyment.
http://awesomestories.com/

Daily Life Online Teacher Resource Site
This site is designed to provide valuable tools for teaching History, Economics, and Geography. The site contains 50 lesson plans, written by education experts and covers the subject strands: American Government, American History, Civics, Economics, World Geography, and World History. Each lesson plan consists of a teacher page and a student page, along with supporting materials such as graphic organizers and assessment rubrics.
http://www.dailylife.greenwood.com/teacher/default.asp

On Reading, Learning to Read, and Effective Instruction
There is an ongoing debate about reading. What is it? How is it learned? How is it most effectively taught? The Commission on Reading of the National Council of Teachers of English has compiled the following overview of what the profession knows about reading, learning to read, and effective reading instruction and referenced some of the large body of research that has given rise to this view. It then outlines policies that promote learning to read.
http://www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/category/read/118620.htm

NASA Connect: Sun-Earth Day
On March 29, 2006, we will experience a total solar eclipse. This site examines the natural phenomena that create a total eclipse. NASA scientists and engineers introduce a satellite used to make artificial eclipses in order to learn about the sun's corona. Students measure the angular size and predict the angular distance of objects in the sky.
http://sunearthday.nasa.gov/2006/events/broadcasts.php

Colonial America
The Smithsonian's Colonial America offers primary sources and tools for using them in the classroom. Watch an anthropologist examine skeletons for clues to daily life in Jamestown. Find lessons on the Boston Massacre, Stamp Act, patriot women, Pocahontas, and money. Use questions -- built around primary documents -- to explore the clashing views of revolutionary colonists and loyalist colonists. Examine the political, religious, economic, and social reasons for the Revolution.
http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/topic/viewdetailshis.aspx?TopicId=1004

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Professional Book Recommendations

Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom
by Rich Wormeli

How do teachers who use differentiated instruction assess and grade? What is fair and leads to student learning? Rick Wormeli's new book Fair Isn't Always Equal focuses on these questions. The book covers the nitty gritty details of grading and assessment. It is filled with real examples and "gray" areas that middle and high school educators deal with. (Available through Stenhouse.)


What Works? A Practical Guide for Teacher Researchers
by Elizabeth Chiseri-Starter and Bonnie S. Sunstein

What Works? is a comprehensive look at what goes into teacher research. Chiseri-Strater and Sunstein have laid out action research as an easy-to-understand process. They've organized What Works? as a teacher-friendly instruction manual, introducing each of the tasks of teacher research one by one-from shaping a question, to designing a study, to conducting it, to disseminating your results. Each step of the way you'll read supportive advice, see illustrations from projects around the U.S., find exercises that hone the skills necessary to do research, encounter numerous creative suggestions for expanding the range and scope of traditional action research, and learn what a vital and important influence it can be on your instruction. (Available through Heinemann.)


Breaking the Code: The New Science of Beginning Reading and Writing
by J. Richard Gentry

If only we could understand that seemingly inexplicable moment when children suddenly "get" reading. Then our instruction could be directed toward creating those specific circumstances which help every student recognize the pattern of meaning behind the marks on a page. Breaking the Code shows you how scientific thinking and student-centered teaching can work together to create powerful literacy instructional practices. Starting with the crucial interrelationship of reading and writing, Gentry looks inside and out at the minds of emerging readers to find out how they construct the idea and process of reading. Then he presents a blueprint for instruction and early intervention that combines his new findings with best-practice teaching. His comprehensive instructional model focuses on building the specific skills, capacities, and experiences kids need by teaching them to write as they learn to read. Gentry gives you everything you need to implement successful beginning reading strategies as well as a variety of effective tips for supporting readers and writers throughout the primary grades. (Available through Heinemann.)

Naked Reading: Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers
by Teri Lesesne

Not yet fully young adults, but-as they are quick to tell you-no longer "little kids," these nine-to-fourteen-year-olds are at a stage where every day brings new emotions and physical growth, when habits become ingrained, and when tastes are established. For teachers, the tween years can be the best and worst of times. While some fourth-to-ninth-graders come to see books as a lifeline for understanding a changing world, too many experience "the fourth-grade slump"-a marked decline in interest and achievement in reading. Without help, many become middle and high school students who have stopped reading for pleasure, and only slog through what is assigned. The author draws on her extensive experience as a teacher and consultant to examine ways that educators can help interest kids in books and keep them reading during this crucial period. (Available through Stenhouse.)

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Feeling frustrated? Can't figure it out? Don't forget the FOR-PD Help Desk is available. Help Desk hours are:

Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

The phone number is 1-866-863-READ (7323) toll free, Florida calls only. For non-Florida calls only 407-249-4702. Technical support is also available through AOL Instant Messenger, screen name "forpdhelp".

If you need technical support beyond that which your facilitator or school technology coordinator can offer, please contact the FOR-PD Technical Support Help Desk. Please fill out the Tech Help Form or call the Help Desk. Describe your problem as completely as possible and leave your name and return phone number, and someone will get back to you.

Chat Live with the Help Desk. First, make sure that we are online. The button below will tell you whether we are online or offline. Next, click on Set Screen Name and type your name. Then, click in the light blue box below to type your message. Press Enter to send it. This requires you have Macromedia Flash installed on your computer. http://www.itrc.ucf.edu/about/technicalsupport.html

Don't forget to check out the Tutorials and Troubleshooting Guide. Both of these resources provide a wealth of information on the tools used in the course and specific technology problems past participants have had along with solutions to these problems.

Pop-up blockers continue to be the number one issue the Help Desk deals with. If you have a pop-up blocker on your web browser, you will not be able to access the quizzes in the course. To disable your pop-up blocker, follow these directions:

Disable Pop-Up Blocking programs

• Move your mouse to the lower right-hand corner of your screen near the time
• Scroll your mouse over the icons listed to the left of the time
• If you notice any of the icons refer to Pop-Ups, right-click on them and click "Disable" or "Exit"
• Please note that Norton Internet Securities and McAfee Firewall need to be disabled as well.

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