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Who Owns the Learning? The Importance of Adopting a Facilitative Stance

2023-02-08T18:10:10-05:00January 22nd, 2019|Classroom Teaching, General, General Education, Reading Recovery Teaching, Reflections and Commentary, Teaching|

by Maria Nichols

Henry: No!! They gotta go the other way!

Ella: To the waves!

Teacher: Angel? You have that look …

Angel: [nodding] Yeah – I’m trying to – like, why do they go all wrong?

Sara: Yeah – they get all confused. It’s really, really sad.

Angel: But – like, why?

Teacher: What are you all thinking?

Marceline: It said the lights – I think they’re all glowy. Sorta like stars or something.

Josue: Oh – maybe …

This bit of talk comes from a class of second graders engaged with Philippe Cousteau’s Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles. The children were wrestling with the perils that await the newly hatched turtles, including confusion caused by the lights of beachfront homes. Their talk is understandably tentative as they construct, and their teacher’s actively leaning in, watching, listening, and nudging.

Brian Cambourne speaks to the critical nature of engaging children in thinking and talking together in this very way, reminding us that “… learning, thinking, knowing, and understanding are significantly enhanced when one is provided with opportunities for ‘talking one’s way to meaning’…” (1995). This process actually shifts children from passively, compliantly absorbing the teacher’s thinking to actively constructing ideas that are bigger and bolder than possible inside a single mind alone.  And, when children construct in this way, they truly own the learning.

In Comprehension Through Conversation (Nichols, 2006), I explored specific talk behaviors – drawing in a range of voices, growing ideas and negotiating meaning – that are foundational to engaging children through talk. But, there’s another critical piece to the process—one that involves a deliberate shift in our own instructional stance.

In the bit of talk about Follow the Moon Home, you may have noticed that the teacher’s interjections were brief, yet powerful. She’s not leading the talk – she’s facilitating the talk. A facilitative stance differs from traditional, teacher-driven instruction in that it doesn’t funnel children’s thinking or attempt to corral their process. Rather, facilitation opens space for children to engage in an honest flow of talk and meaning making.

Thoughtful facilitation has four overarching qualities (Nichols, 2019):

Facilitation Is Invitational
Our facilitation should invite all children’s voices into the meaning making process. We hear an invitation from our 2nd grade teacher when she uses the signs of thinking on Angel’s face to draw him into the conversation, and when she creates space for others to respond to his question. Invitational facilitative moves may sound like this:

  • What are you thinking?
  • Is anyone wondering ___?
  • I’m noticing a look on your face …

Facilitation Is Responsive
As we facilitate, we listen intently to the flow of children’s talk, alert for constructive possibilities. We may nudge specific lines of thinking to deepen and broaden them, or we may nudge towards new lines of thinking – but always in ways that honor the children’s process. Notice that our teacher responds to Angel’s question and Sara’s thinking, nudging for thoughts about their noticing and wondering as opposed to layering in her own predetermined questions. Responsive facilitation may sound like this:

  • That’s interesting. Why do you think … ?
  • Can you say a little more about that?
  • What do others think about this? 

Facilitation Is Agentive
Our facilitative language speaks to relationships in the meaning making process, and lays bare our beliefs about children’s capabilities. Language such as, “Now, who can tell me…?” positions us as central to the process, while language such as, “What are you all thinking?” positions children as capable thinkers and collaborators who are central to the process. Agentive facilitation may sound like this:

  • What are you thinking?
  • Have you considered…?
  • How is that thought settling with you?

Facilitation Is Meaning Driven
To support children as they construct understanding together, we attend to the ebb and flow of meaning making, tailoring our facilitation to their needs. We lightly support when meaning is flowing and nudge a bit more if it’s faltering. We might refocus children on a confusing part of the text, encourage them to notice more in a particular passage, or support them as they connect bits of thinking— but always remembering that the meaning needs to be their own. Our teacher’s move to position Angel’s question as a springboard for the children’s thinking communicates exactly this. Meaning-driven facilitation may sound like this:

  • Does this thinking seem to make sense…?
  • Let’s reread a bit, and see if …
  • How do these thoughts fit together …?

When facilitative support is invitational, responsive, agentive, and meaning centered, children come to realize the power and potential of their voice—both individually and collectively. In these classrooms, children truly own their learning.

 

References
Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: Twenty years of inquiry. The Reading Teacher, 49(3),182-190.
Costeau, P. (2016). Follow the moon home: A tale of one idea, twenty kids, and a hundred sea turtles. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Nichols, M. (2006). Comprehension through conversation. Portsmouth, NH:   Heinemann.
Nichols, M.  (2019). Building bigger ideas: A process for teaching purposeful talk. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

 

Maria Nichols is a literacy consultant and Director of School Innovation for the San Diego Unified School District. She is the author of Comprehension Through Conversation. Maria will be a featured speaker at the 2019 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Literacy Conference, February 9-12, in Columbus, OH. Her session entitled “Talk Matters! Supporting English Learners in the Dialogic Classroom”  will be presented on Sunday 3:30-5:00 pm and Tuesday 8:30-10:00 am

Do It All and Do It Now

2023-02-08T18:10:10-05:00January 8th, 2019|Classroom Teaching, General, General Education, Reading Recovery Teaching, Reflections and Commentary, Teaching|

by LeeAnn Lewellen

As an instructional coach, I hear so many “buzzwords” when administrators and district personnel discuss teacher effectiveness after a brief classroom observation. Engagement, rigor, cultural responsiveness, high yield strategies, assessment… the list goes on. But as a teacher, how do I attack ALL of these things right now?! I feel the sense of urgency to improve in all areas right away, or I will witness the failure of the students and the demise of the education system. How can I attack ALL of these things right now? The answer – I can’t. It brings to mind the leader of the Roman Empire, Augustus, and his phrase, “Festina Lente…” – make haste, or go slow, to go fast.

What if, instead of fixing every little thing that needs attention in the classroom, I choose one area to improve?  Just one. What one thing could I change about my teaching to improve student learning? Isn’t that what I would do to help grow my students? As a Reading Recovery teacher, when I hear a struggling reader read a text, I make a mental note of all the problems I hear and see. In one reading, I might notice visual errors, lapses in meaning, incorrect structures, and more. But if I try to address ALL of those things, I will have confused my reader! I think about what will move the child forward in his or her processing, and I pick one thing to address.  As a teacher, I need to afford the same opportunity for learning to myself.

So that is what I will do. I will think of one way to improve my craft that could make a positive, lasting impact on my students. Does the day seem long and monotonous to me? Then I need to improve my engagement strategies! Could nearly every student finish every activity with 100% accuracy before I even began instruction? Then I need to improve the rigor of the activities. (or move on to a new topic!)

I will cease the practice of rushing through everything without mastering anything; I will go slow to go fast. I will develop a proper balance between urgency and diligence; I will go slow to go fast.

Join me, colleagues. Choose a path, work hard to improve, take a little at a time, and watch you AND your students flourish.

LeeAnn has 17 years of experience in the field of education. She is a Reading Recovery teacher and an instructional coach for her building. LeeAnn, along with Shawna Wilkins and Kelsey Wharton will present a session during the 2019 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Literacy Conference entitled “Deconstructing the Data: What Your Readers Need Now”.

Using Share Time to Inspire and Instruct Writers

2023-02-08T18:10:10-05:00December 6th, 2018|General, General Education, Latest News, Teaching|

by Leah Mermelstein

Recently, I was speaking with a group of fourth-grade teachers who use The Teachers College Writing Units of Study. They had just taught a minilesson about using ‘boxes and bullets’ as a planning tool. Not surprisingly, some students had success with the lesson, while others struggled. It seemed natural for us to brainstorm possible follow up minilessons, but after a few minutes, we wondered aloud if we could better address this issue with a few well thought out share sessions. We came up with a few open-ended questions and over the next few days, the teachers used those questions to jump-start conversations with their students. The teachers were amazed by the kids’ conversations during the share sessions. They saw firsthand how conversations deepened the students’ understanding of ‘boxes and bullets’ and untangled some of their confusions about planning in general. Not only that but by listening in to these conversations, the teachers got some great ideas for future lessons. Share sessions, when done thoughtfully are as instructional (if not more so) than minilessons or conferences. The question then is: How can we ensure that the shares that we do in our classroom are instructional and engaging for everyone?

Shares as Conversations:
In my book, Don’t Forget to Share, I talk about how share sessions in the writing workshop are most useful when teachers structure them, not as a second minilesson, but as a time for kids to have instructional conversations with one another. When I’m conducting share sessions as conversations, I begin by telling the kids the topic of the conversation. Then, kids talk to one another in partnerships and finally, they talk together as a group. In my book, I outlined four different types of share conversations (Content, Craft, Process, and Progress). Over time, I have layered new thinking onto each of these shares, and have had fun developing some new share session ideas as well.

Ultimately, the kinds of shares you can do with your kids are endless. Here are my current five favorite share session conversations. If you’ve read my book, you’ll recognize many of them, but you’ll see some new ones to try out as well.

Content: This type of share starts with a student sharing either her entire piece or a part of her piece. The class retells the piece to make sure they understand it. Finally, they ask questions about the parts that confused them and/or the parts they want to know more about. Based on these questions, the student will decide what revisions she’ll make (if any).  Just recently, I did a content share in a kindergarten class. The little girl wrote a story about having a play date with her friend.  She and her friend were playing under the table. On the last page, she wrote that she was sad. After the class retold her piece they asked questions: Why were you under the table?  Why were you sad?   She explained that they were playing family under the table and that she was sad because her mother came early and she didn’t want to go home.  Ultimately, she revised her story by explaining why she was sad.

Craft: This type of share starts with one child sharing the craft technique he/she tried. The craft might be directly connected to what was taught in the minilesson or it might be something that popped up during a conference. The other kids come to the share with their current writing piece, a pencil, and/or a post-it note. After the child shares, the other kids reread their writing checking to see if the craft technique would work for them. If it does, they make some sort of notation to remind themselves of what they want to try. Finally, they share their findings with one another.

Minilesson: This share starts with a question that is related to the minilesson.  The kids talk about the question as a way to clarify their ideas and deepen their understanding of what was taught. Recently, I conducted a minilesson helping students organize their table of contents in their non-fiction books. After the lesson, many kids were still confused and unable to make substantial changes. During the share, I asked the following questions: What kinds of changes could a writer make to their table of contents? How would those changes help? Because they were talking as a way of thinking, they struggled at times to find the right words but the talk itself brought to a new level of understanding.

Process: During a process share, the teacher poses a question that gets kids to reflect upon some part of the writing process (How does rereading help you?  What kinds of planning can you do in your Writer’s Notebook? How does that planning help you with drafting?  How have you grown in this unit? What can you do now that you couldn’t do in the beginning of the year? How can you take what you learned in this study to the next study?) The kids talk about the question as a way to deepen their understanding of that part of the process, as well as to help themselves transfer their learning into ongoing work.

Spelling: In a spelling conversation, the teacher finds a student who has spelled a word incorrectly and uses that word to provide spelling instruction for all students. The teacher first shares what the student did well and then shows the class the spelling rule or pattern that this word follows. Finally, the kids talk to one another, trying to generate other words that follow the same rule or pattern.  Recently, a student I worked with had spelled ‘played’ as ‘plad.’  First, I pointed out to the class how the child listened closely to the beginning sound of played. Then, I showed the kids how in this word, the long ‘a’ was represented by ‘ay’. Then, the kids talked to one another, brainstorming other words where the long ‘a’ was represented by ‘ay’.

Leah, a student I had the pleasure of working with, called share conversations the ‘bits and pieces’ of all of us.  I love that description and hope that if you conduct your share conversations, you will be able to use the bits and pieces of all of your students to help everyone become more engaged and skillful writers.

Leah Mermelstein is a literacy consultant who works with teachers, literacy coaches, and principals. She is also the author of four books on the teaching of writing and is thrilled to be a presenter at the 2019 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Literacy Conference. Hear more about how talk can instruct and inspire writers at her session titled, Conversations That Inspire and Instruct Student Writers.  You can find here at @MermelsteinLeah or www.leahmermelstein.com.

Teaching as a Team Sport

2023-02-08T18:10:11-05:00September 4th, 2018|General, General Education, Reading Recovery Teaching, Reflections and Commentary, Teaching|

by Susan Vincent

This past summer, I watched the Tour de France bicycle race on TV, as I do every summer. I loved waking up every morning to the incredible scenic views of quaint French towns, the majestic Alps, and the spirited fans who lined the narrow streets to cheer on the bicyclists.

What I did not really understand for many years is that bicycling is a team sport. I always viewed cycling as an individual effort, because that’s the only way I’d ever experienced riding a bike. I’ve come to find out, however, these bicycle teams are actually intricate networks of support for the cyclists.

The cyclists group themselves in a clump called a peloton. The peloton helps cyclists ride more efficiently by cutting wind drag. The other riders “draft” for each other in turns, blocking the wind and making it easier to ride. The riders also have outside support. Supporters ride along in cars, handing off water and snacks, or changing flat tires. Communication is also a big part of success, I learned. Riders wear earpieces to get information about road conditions and to get advice about strategy.

Of course, no cyclist would get very far in the Tour de France alone. A network of support is absolutely necessary. It occurs to me that teaching is the same.

When Marie Clay, in all her genius, developed Reading Recovery, she made it a team sport. She established a required professional network for teachers. The network provides teachers “continuing contact” with each other (as we used to call professional learning meetings.) Groups of teachers meet regularly to watch each other teach and to learn with and from each other. Even during the “alone” times of teaching, at the first sign of stagnated learning, a colleague or teacher leader is at the ready to sit beside you, observe a lesson, teach your child, and problem solve with you. You are never really alone in Reading Recovery. You are in a peloton, sometimes drafting for your colleagues, sometimes being drafted by them. Your earpiece is always in place with your professional readings and colleagues to guide you. And of course, the children are always the winners when teachers operate in this kind of team.

My fondest professional wish is that this type of Reading Recovery learning network could grow even larger and more intricate.  Reading Recovery professionals have a wealth of knowledge that could support literacy teachers everywhere. The teaching peloton no longer needs to be bound by geography. We have tools today that didn’t exist in Reading Recovery’s early days. Thousands of teachers meet on Twitter and share educational ideas. Over 4 million posts per day are on education-related topics. Shouldn’t Reading Recovery be a major voice? I think so.

Perhaps Reading Recovery professionals can “draft” for the field of literacy professionals, who have been bombarded in recent years by all kinds of craziness, from NCLB to high stakes tests, to scripted programs. Teachers could use some expert literacy “drafting,” taking us in the right direction, helping us understand how children learn to read and write. If you are a Reading Recovery professional or if you support Reading Recovery, I think you can help the team.

If you haven’t joined Twitter, join. Check out Reading Recovery’s monthly chat by following the hashtag #rrchat. Participate and bring a friend.  If you are a teacher leader, spend some time getting your teachers signed up and encourage them to participate. If you are unsure and in new territory, all the better! You can learn together. There is help available through Reading Recovery.  Soon, Reading Recovery could be a very noticeable voice in a very public forum. It’s important because more children are waiting to be literacy winners! (Let’s wear some yellow jerseys!)

 

Susan Vincent is a faculty member in early childhood education at Miami University Regionals in Ohio. She taught Reading Recovery for 19 years as a teacher and teacher leader. Follow her on Twitter, @ssvincent. Susan will be a speaker at the 2019 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Literacy Conference, February 9-12, in Columbus, OH. Her session is titled: “Accelerating Progress with ALL Readers Through Classroom Instruction”.

National Literacy Leadership Award Honors Excellence

2018-01-18T14:08:30-05:00January 18th, 2018|General, Latest News|

Three individuals will be recognized with the 2018 Excellence in Literacy Leadership Award presented by the Reading Recovery teacher leaders. They are Dr. Amanda Alexander, chief of elementary schools at District of Columbia Public Schools; Dr. Dean Baker, superintendent of Maine School Administrative District 49 in central Maine; and Veronica Brady, senior vice president of philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation in Venice, FL.

Each year, Reading Recovery teacher leaders from across the country nominate individuals to receive this prestigious award. Recipients, who are not trained in Reading Recovery, have displayed a strong commitment to expand and maintain its high standards and made significant contributions to implementation beyond the local level. The nominating teacher leaders will present the awards on Sunday, February 18, during the 2018 National Reading Recovery & K-6 Literacy Conference opening session at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.


Dr. Amanda Alexander, chief of elementary schools at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
Dr. Alexander began her career as a kindergarten teacher in DCPS. She later served as an assistant principal in New York City where she first learned of Reading Recovery. When she returned to DCPS, she led literacy initiatives as a principal, instructional superintendent, and deputy chief of elementary schools.

She is the driving force behind bringing Reading Recovery to schools in the nation’s capital. Forming a partnership with the Andrew & Julie Klingenstein Family Fund and leveraging a grant from Pioneer Valley Books, she launched the first training class for the initial implementation into schools. She has guided the expansion from the initial hiring of two Reading Recovery teachers to the integration of implementation into the district’s 2017-2022 strategic plan.

“From our first conversation, I recognized Dr. Alexander’s passion for early literacy, her strong belief in the power and potential of Reading Recovery, and her drive to close the gap in first grade in DCPS,” said Teacher Leader Linda Randall. “She is deeply committed to preserving the integrity of the intervention and vitally involved in our work. She celebrates and shares the successes, helps problem-solve any challenges, digs deeply into the data, and advocates passionately for ensuring that Reading Recovery will be available for all first graders who need it.”

DCPS serves nearly 49,000 students in Grades K-12 at 115 schools across the district. About 78% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. One of the six goals in the district’s new 5-year strategic plan, developed under the leadership of Chancellor Antwan Wilson, is that 100 percent of K-2 students are reading on or above grade level.


Dr. Dean Baker, superintendent of Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 49, Fairfield, ME
For nearly three decades, Dr. Dean Baker has provided clear and progressive leadership as superintendent, assistant superintendent, and as Reading Recovery site coordinator for Central Maine since 1993. He is recognized for successfully turning around a failing literacy program and is unique among Maine superintendents for having direct responsibility for student curriculum.

Dr. Baker established one of the first training centers in Maine at Benton Elementary School in SAD 49. He has championed the program and provided support through economic and political challenges at both the state government and university levels, including the loss of state funding and changes in leadership that threatened Reading Recovery implementations across the state. In part due to his persistence, Reading Recovery has expanded to serve first graders at 124 schools in 64 districts. 

“Dr. Baker’s commitment has been unwavering for over a quarter of a century,” said Teacher Leader Whendy Smith. “His effective leadership provided for strong system designs, and his unconditional support has provided implementation longevity. There have been many times that he was approached with new initiatives and competing demands for funds, but he redirected any creative thinking back to the core business and the standards of Reading Recovery.” 

MSAD 49 serves about 2,200 students in Grades K-12 from four rural communities. One of the poorest districts in Maine, it is recognized for outstanding quality education.


Veronica Brady, senior vice president of philanthropy at Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Veronica Brady first learned about Reading Recovery from philanthropists Keith and Linda Monda, who supported Reading Recovery through The Ohio State University and envisioned replicating it in Sarasota County. Brady spearheaded a partnership with Sarasota County Public Schools (SCPS) and secured funding commitments from the Mondas and the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation.

She shares district data to educate the community, media outlets, and other potential donors, and led the charge to expand from 3 to all 10 Title I elementary schools in the district in just one year. Recognizing that many students in non-Title I schools also would benefit from Reading Recovery, she advocated for further expansion to all 23 Sarasota County elementary schools. With additional funding, Reading Recovery was implemented district-wide this school year.

“From the inception, Veronica has worked diligently to reach numerous stakeholders and to spread the word about the powerful effects of Reading Recovery,” said Teacher Leader Lisa Fisher. “The benefits reach not only the students, but also impact the Reading Recovery teachers, the collaborating homeroom teachers, the school as a whole, and the families of the children themselves. Her significant contributions to Reading Recovery’s expansion and implementation in Florida impacts lifetime trajectories.”

SCPS serves about 43,000 students in Grades K-12, at 53 schools that include 11 charter schools, 1 virtual school, and 1 technical college. About 53% of the students are economically needy. The district offers a wide variety of school choice and magnet programs and is one of only two districts in Florida that has earned an ‘A’ every year since district grading started in 2004.

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