And the Journey Continues...

Reading Workshop continues to be a valuable part of our day each and every day, although this time of year begins creates some challenges in “juggling” our schedule. We have already had to start making adjustments for testing, field trips, conference prep and it will continue with Christmas Program preparation, Christmas gift making, the Geography Bee… and the list will go on. Unfortunately I feel that my reading and writing block is the portion of our day that is often shorted as other things get busy. But regardless of all that… the journey continues!

We have been practicing and taking part in all 6 choices mentioned so far in this blog on a daily basis; however I must admit the one we have yet to make a part of our daily routine is Word Work/Spelling. I am just a little unsure of this choice and how exactly I should offer it to the students. I am not sure if I want to focus on spelling words or vocabulary, or both! My plan is to start with the following options on Monday and see how it goes… that is part of what this journey is about, giving things a try and seeing what works!

Word Work/Spelling

If you are choosing to complete this choice in reading today you may choose from the following options:

1. Whiteboard: Practice writing your spelling words in print or cursive on a small whiteboard. After you have written each word you may then draw words to go with each spelling word. If you do not know what a word means, look a dictionary to look it up.
2. Wikki Stix: Practice your spelling words by writing them with Wikki Stix. Do not cut or break the Wikki Stix, find ways to use them as they are.
3. Grammar: Read the directions of the folder and complete the corresponding activity. If there is a sheet you need to fill out with the activity please attach it to your logging sheet.
4. Vocabulary: Look up this week’s vocabulary words using the glossary in your reading hardcover book. After you write the definition using words you may then draw small picture to show what the word means.
5. BONUS: Occasionally there will be another option for Spelling/Word Work. Look for a note card on the back of this sheet for more information about this option.

If you finish one of these options you must still stay in the Word Work/Spelling choice for the duration of this choice time, make sure you are prepared for more than one option if needed. 

If anyone has any ideas of how to offer this choice please let me know!

In my most recent survey I was able to see the affects of a student’s ability to choose what they read vs. being told what to read. The research has shown that students are much more motivated to read when given the choice of what they can read, so in my most recent survey I decided to ask students their feelings towards reading stories from our Reading Hardcover (textbook) book vs. their I PICK book on a scale of Love it! Like it. Ho Hum. and Don’t like it! The results were as follows:

How do you feel about reading stories from the Reading Hardcover book?
Love it! 1	Like it. 9	Ho Hum… 10	Don’t like it! 5
How do you feel about reading your I PICK book?
Love it! 17	Like it. 7	Ho Hum… 1	Don’t like it! 0

Although this is the first time I have asked this question in a survey I do feel that the results strongly show that my students greatly prefer reading a book of their choice compared to being told what story to read. While I am unable to give them their choice 100% of the time due to the requirements of our curriculum I do find this data to be reaffirming. I feel that it shows that what I am doing in allowing students choice in what they read during a portion of our Reading Workshop time is what the students want!

As I have with most surveys I also asked the students: How do you feel about Reading Workshop in 4^th grade? The results for are shown below:

Week of September 26th – 30th	8 Love it!	12 Like it!	4 Ho Hum	1 Don’t like it!
Week of October 10th – 14th	10 Love it!	10 Like it!	4 Ho Hum	1 Don’t like it!
Week of October 24th – 28th	11 Love it!	12 Like it!	2 Ho Hum	0 Don’t like it!
Week of November 14th – 18th	Love it! 8	Like it. 14	Ho Hum… 3	Don’t like it! 0

I am happy to see there are still 0 in the Don’t like it! category, however there has been a shift in the other numbers. I am not surprised to see these numbers changing, as it seems that as things are done more often the novelty can wear off and therefore attitudes may not been as positive. I will be interested to see if these numbers change again after introducing another new choice this week and creating a little more variety in the choices after a few weeks of the same choices with nothing new introduced.

I have continued to enjoy our Reading Workshop time and I feel that the students are truly enjoying and growing as readers through  the choices they have available. Last week I had 3 boys in my class approach me to ask me if they could start a Book Club, as the 3 of them and 2 other students had all just gotten the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. I was intrigued by what they were asking and thrilled to see their excitement. We talked a little bit more about it and how it would possible work, as we have talked a lot about Read to Someone being a choice for just 2 people to do together. We decided they could try it, meeting during choice time 2 days a week as long as they are on task and not disturbing to others. The boys were thrilled! They could not stop talking about how they were the “inventors of the Book Club” – as if it were a brand new concept! J  I have sat in on their meetings and they are very good about taking turns reading and listening to one another, but my favorite part has been watching them stop and discuss, asking each other THICK questions! It has been a lot of fun to see their excitement about reading, especially because one of these 3 boys has had a “less than positive” attitude towards reading in the past. They hope to continue this Book Club idea with a new book from the December book order, I am interested in seeing where this idea takes them, and how long it continues. I am proud of them for taking this on, and in a way adding their own new choice in to Reading Workshop.