tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.comments2022-12-23T06:28:19.007-05:00Laura's VoiceLaura Candlerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-61556877769750457912014-11-28T22:55:39.441-05:002014-11-28T22:55:39.441-05:00I enjoyed reading your blog, thank you
EuniceI enjoyed reading your blog, thank you<br />Eunicepoolespreschoolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11695149440927420309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-91826472953693421362014-09-01T20:01:38.482-04:002014-09-01T20:01:38.482-04:00Thanks so much! Did you know that I don't use ...Thanks so much! Did you know that I don't use this blog anymore? My blog is now located at www.corkboardconnections.com. Come visit me there!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-71045086284266424942014-09-01T16:13:23.155-04:002014-09-01T16:13:23.155-04:00I have used the Power Reading Workshop and love it...I have used the Power Reading Workshop and love it! It is simple and easy to follow and has lots of useful lessons and ideas. Thanks for this great resource!Stephanie Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14180664736925352610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-24228823193328187402012-09-22T10:25:17.386-04:002012-09-22T10:25:17.386-04:00Thanks Terri! I haven't written new content fo...Thanks Terri! I haven't written new content for this blog in a long time because I have a new blog at Corkboard Connections. It's at www.corkboardconnections.com. Hope to see you there!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-72565836999963854742012-09-22T09:31:13.591-04:002012-09-22T09:31:13.591-04:00Laura,
I have recently discovered your teaching...Laura,<br /> I have recently discovered your teaching resources and blog. I felt compelled to shout out a great big THANK YOU! This is my 28th year of teaching and have always used activities like those you post, but have really never had nice printables to coincide with them(seeing that the computer and I have our differences). NOW, I do thanks to you. The work you have put in to them, have renewed my spirit. I can't wait to use them. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your talents!<br />Terri Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-58243666890155915622012-07-31T01:19:11.860-04:002012-07-31T01:19:11.860-04:00You don't get it. Get training on workshop. ...You don't get it. Get training on workshop. You will then understand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-22594683343861013852012-07-08T14:33:57.374-04:002012-07-08T14:33:57.374-04:00Hi! You are correct that my site is for grades 3 -...Hi! You are correct that my site is for grades 3 - 5 because my background is in upper elementary. Luckily for you there are hundreds of teacher blogs for the primary grades. Here's a list of some of them on Denise Boehm's blog (Sunny Days in Second Grade). <a href="http://sunnydaysinsecondgrade.blogspot.com/p/blogs-i-love.html" rel="nofollow">Blogs I Love</a>Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-34752846723398886482012-07-08T13:56:57.241-04:002012-07-08T13:56:57.241-04:00I just spent several hours going through everythin...I just spent several hours going through everything (I think) on your website. Lots and lots of wonderful ideas or other places to find them. I would like to request more primary activities, games, worksheets. It seems to be geared more for grades 3, 4, and 5. Now that you are using a blog, I'll be checking that too!Vickeeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02201928599793929424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-25054350996200820172011-10-23T17:45:36.884-04:002011-10-23T17:45:36.884-04:00Whatever the "buzz" word is now, my stud...Whatever the "buzz" word is now, my students want some time to read to themselves, especially after we have gone to the library. Our schedule is so micromanaged by our district there is no time to read for leisure, my students welcome a quiet time to read. Our DEAR time is a time when I read to them. It is NOT on our schedule, but I miss not reading to my students. They miss my reading to them. If caught, I could be written up..duh..for reading to my students?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-33246017684842463232011-10-23T15:42:31.705-04:002011-10-23T15:42:31.705-04:00It's a shame, but I just can't seem to fin...It's a shame, but I just can't seem to find strong research documentation for reading workshop. I tried last week and it was just a big run around for me. Teachers who use it know that it works, but I can't find any studies that really document the effectiveness of these programs. If anyone finds something, please let me know. Perhaps there are no big studies because this program is not part of a textbook-based approach so it's not funded by any large companies. Reading workshop is something any teacher can do without a textbook, so reading companies may not want to fund research studies on this.Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-11131232255849078642011-10-23T14:20:43.674-04:002011-10-23T14:20:43.674-04:00I was so glad to read your blog on SSR. We have al...I was so glad to read your blog on SSR. We have always conferred or met woth groups during SSR. Now, our district just moved into using the Reading Street Anthology based program and we are having a hard time figuring out how to have Self Selected Reading time. The Reading Street program is jammed packed and we have found that the station activities don't have a lot of value for our children. Is there any research that supports SSR in place of literacy station activities?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-40279039564869924382011-10-22T16:25:34.552-04:002011-10-22T16:25:34.552-04:00My students love the change from "OK it is t...My students love the change from "OK it is time for us all to read." to "I want to conference with the 3 over there who are almost finished with their book." That was an example of the flexibility I have when I conference versus reading at the same time the kids read - and trying to be the WHO'S REALLY READING police.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-77909033721990393252011-10-22T14:08:41.781-04:002011-10-22T14:08:41.781-04:00I love Self Selected Reading too! It's so moti...I love Self Selected Reading too! It's so motivating for kids to read what they want, and that's why I love Reading Workshop!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-62108080780471627542011-10-22T12:32:50.903-04:002011-10-22T12:32:50.903-04:00I used Self Selected Reading in my classroom and l...I used Self Selected Reading in my classroom and loved it! This included the teacher read alouds and conferring with students on a rotating basis. Both are important components to include to ensure that students get all they can out of Self Selected Reading. <br />LoriAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-13109375201290284682011-10-18T11:20:43.663-04:002011-10-18T11:20:43.663-04:00I just revised and updated the above blog post on ...I just revised and updated the above blog post on SSR. After reading the comments left here, I realized that my original blog post gave the impression that I didn't see any value in students reading independently and that the old SSR model was completely ineffective, and that wasn't my intent. For one thing, I am 100% in favor of independent reading time in the classroom because I believe that having time to read is absolutely essential in any reading program. Also, I am willing to concede that SSR may have been somewhat effective for those students who already enjoyed reading. However, my experiences with both SSR and Reading Workshop have convinced me that the RW approach is far superior to the old SSR model because it meets the needs of ALL students. I also like RW because it's flexible and does allow me to include variety in my reading instruction. Thanks to all of you who left comments above and encouraged me to reflect on what I had originally written. It's wonderful that blogs provide an opportunity for conversations like this!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-22545852739103434112011-10-18T06:03:26.601-04:002011-10-18T06:03:26.601-04:00Taking on any programme to extremes, no questions ...Taking on any programme to extremes, no questions asked seems pretty close-minded, and it's always good to hear about new strategies that people are giving a try. It seems good practice to incorporate a variety of methods in our classrooms. I can't believe that teachers would take on SSR as the main part of their reading programme. It just doesn't seem sensible. I still do SSR in my classroom. I think "ineffective" is a bit extreme as reading mileage is important. This is just one small part of my reading programme though, and most of the time it is followed up with a reading response activity. Here's to variety and catering the learning to class needs!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-49467765125069188432011-10-17T23:22:10.179-04:002011-10-17T23:22:10.179-04:00http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/why-s...http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/why-sustained-silent-reading-ssr-doesn%E2%80%99t-work/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-5450660698032149502011-10-17T22:08:32.767-04:002011-10-17T22:08:32.767-04:00Is the SSR that you are referring to link to the F...Is the SSR that you are referring to link to the Four Blocks model? I believe that my first introduction to SSR through the Four Blcoks model incorporated conferrng as well, so I have always considered SSR similar to the reading workshop. On the other hand, I have read that Independent Reading Time or Drop Everything and Read time did have the teacher reading their own book. It may just be a choice of terms, but I believe that the SSR term originated in the Four Blocks model.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-65166345521438410762011-10-17T21:21:17.746-04:002011-10-17T21:21:17.746-04:00Here's a link to the Nation Reading Panel repo...Here's a link to the Nation Reading Panel report: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/upload/smallbook_pdf.pdf Take a look at pages 12 and 13 of that report. While it doesn't say that SSR is definitely ineffective, it does say that SSR has not been shown to have a strong positive effect on reading skills. I do believe that students who use the time effectively and actually read make gains in reading, but I don't believe it's effective for those students who lack sufficient reading skills to be successful reading independently.Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-77648638176476185042011-10-17T21:10:29.214-04:002011-10-17T21:10:29.214-04:00Good question! Let me look around and see what I c...Good question! Let me look around and see what I can find. I know that I've seen research somewhere that shows that SSR alone (without other strategies in place) is not effective.Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-34262502342960326172011-10-17T20:55:12.733-04:002011-10-17T20:55:12.733-04:00Could you provide links to the research that discr...Could you provide links to the research that discredits SSR? Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-72008554524828806682011-08-30T14:41:57.799-04:002011-08-30T14:41:57.799-04:00Thanks, John! You make some really good points. It...Thanks, John! You make some really good points. It's interesting that just the other day my 17-year old daughter wanted to get a book and I asked her if she wanted it in Kindle format. She said no, she just wanted a book she could hold in her hands!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-40709800107274321532011-08-30T14:37:21.374-04:002011-08-30T14:37:21.374-04:00Congratulations and best wishes for continued succ...Congratulations and best wishes for continued success in your wonderful and important work, Laura. Your comment about the difference between an ebook and a print book called to mind a recent discussion I had with another author. (I'm an author and publisher based in Illinois and have shared my passion for reading and writing with students, teachers, and parents in 39 states, Europe, and New Zealand.) Your question -- "But there's still something about a print book that grabs me. I wonder if children born today will have the same affinity for print books? Somehow I think not. Their "comfort book" feeling will be related to holding an eReader of some sort!" -- was at the heart of the earlier discussion I mentioned and am addressing in an article just being completed. Here's an excerpt. "The jury is still out, of course, and the novelty dimension of ebooks garners sales and media attention, but other considerations suggest that both ebooks and print books are here to stay. Interesting data is coming out of studies suggesting that there's a time and a place for digital texts and a time and a place for print. An Ohio State study showed that both understanding and retention are greater with print material than with digital, for example. Other studies are raising questions about the ocular and other health dimensions of spending hours with digital text on what is essentially a portable monitor. Beyond that, I have noticed that there is an even greater hunger in human nature than the hunger for novelty. I refer to the innate human hunger for intimacy, not the ersatz, one-night-stand version of "intimacy" foisted upon us endlessly by the media, but the real thing: the caring, attentive, listening, and understanding presence of one living, sensing, breathing, thinking human to another. Printed matter facilitates that in situations such as parents reading to children in bed or sitting on their laps, parents reading to children anywhere for that matter, because printed matter accommodates itself to the human setting and has a sort of quiet, background presence, always at the ready but never intrusive. It facilitates the caring, attentive, listening, and understanding presence of parent to child and child to parent. Electronic devices, on the other hand, are somewhat invasive, calling attention to themselves first with on-off switches, option selections, monitor adjustments, battery or other power needs, and the like. Those device-centered intrusions interrupt the caring, attentive, listening, and understanding presence of parent to child and child to parent. The bottom line here is that techie-products make reading analogous to riding a motorcycle, not very conducive to social interaction while going down the highway, even when traveling in a group. Printed books are analogous to driving a van with friends along, enjoying each other's company and talking about each other's lives and interests. The motorcycle probably will get you to your destination faster, if that's all you care about. The van will get you to your destination a little slower, but will enrich your life in other ways. So any affinity for printed books over Kindle or other digital devices is perhaps somewhat a product of conditioning, but it also is at least as much if not more so a conscious decision based on what qualities of life are important or even essential." I have written much more on the subject, of course, but there is not room here. Some of it is reflected in my responses to a New Jersey reading specialist's request for a Back-to-School Night message to parents. My responses have been consolidated chronologically in a single page at http://johngilejournal.blogspot.com/. Again, congratulations, Laura, and best wishes to you and to all the teachers you are helping to effectively introduce children to the wonderful world of reading. -- John Gile, www.johngile.comJohn Gilehttp://www.johngile.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-22719414136446843682011-08-13T15:23:04.235-04:002011-08-13T15:23:04.235-04:00When I was in first grade in 1937-38 I had one chi...When I was in first grade in 1937-38 I had one childhood illness after another (this was before immunizations) so that I was absent MANY days from school. Near the end of the school term, the principal came to the front of the classroom to talk with the teacher about me. She told him in her soft, flowing beautifully Southern accent that I had been absent too many days to be promoted, but that "she is reading at fifth grade level but in numbers she is not doing that well.) I didn't understand their discussion. I was promoted but I believed until adulthood that I could not do numbers (math). I wasted many a precious hour looking at the math work and hearing, "but in her numbers she is not doing that well." Consequently math was VERY hard for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2902484802479744509.post-78382719288612759052011-08-09T20:05:47.646-04:002011-08-09T20:05:47.646-04:00Stephanie, thanks so much for your kind words! I a...Stephanie, thanks so much for your kind words! I appreciate it!Laura Candlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09197589693576774035noreply@blogger.com