All About Comprehension

Technology in Schools—A Time and Place?

2011-10-26T11:09:00.000-04:00

Just a brief post to recommend a professional book that I think every elementary-grade teacher should own. It’s called Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students with Learning Difficulties by Janette K. Klingner, Sharon Vaughn, and Alison Boardman. This short volume offers clear, practical, and research-based practices to improve students’ comprehension. And in this age of

"Retelling as Written Response" Ideas

2011-06-29T08:46:00.000-04:00

[This post is based on a question Lisa posed in the June 25th comment box.] Dear Lisa, I think you’re “right on” when you have your ELL first graders talk about the book you’ve read aloud before asking them to respond in writing. The types of guided responses you've asked them to make and the prompts you've provide seem varied and developmentally appropriate. And I totally get how this is so

Daniel Willingham Podcast-Background Knowledge and Reading Strategies

2011-06-12T09:57:00.000-04:00

I was going through some files preparing for an institute I'm doing this week in ohio and came across a link to a podcast given to me by a soul-mate teacher in Portland, Oregon. Well...I finally listened to all 15-minutes of it and am so glad I did! It's Daniel Willingham talking about background knowledge—how important background knowledge is and how comprehension strategy instruction is being

Juggling Time for Reading and Response

2011-06-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

In a May 30th comment box Mary raised the issue of there being a fine line between asking kids to respond in a thoughtful manner to texts they read and one that doesn’t take too much time away from their independent reading. She writes that her children often get caught up filling in their response sheets when perhaps time would be better spent reading. I understand her

Branching Out—Our Nonfiction Collection Needs to Address More Than “Animals”

2011-05-30T05:04:00.002-04:00

My interest in informational texts and the importance of bringing them into classrooms and children’s hands has made me rethink a whole lot of things. In fact when I went into my basement to check out the nonfiction books I own, I was alarmed to find that so many are about animals. And when you consider all there is about the world for children to learn, it would seem that the books in our

A Noteworthy Informational Text Strategy Book

2011-05-20T17:43:00.001-04:00

Let me tell you about a really cool book I found when preparing for some content area professional development I’ll be doing next week. It’s Barbara Moss and Virginia S. Loh’s 35 Strategies for Guiding Readers though Informational Texts. It’s a newly revised and expanded edition of Moss’s 25 Strategies for Guiding Readers… I love the way the book’s organized. Lessons are chunked together under

Yet Another Nod to Background Knowledge

2011-05-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

I just returned from the International Reading Association Conference in Orlando, FL where I presented a session on "Re-Envisioning the Five Pillars of Reading." One pillar that I include in my re-envisioned paradigm is background knowledge since it's most essential in helping children comprehend what they read. After the session, a teacher shared the title of this YouTube video that I'm now

Book Selection for Independent Reading: Reading Conferences "Yes"—Book Shopping Days "No"

2011-05-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

Let me state right off that while I’m a huge fan of shopping—for clothes, shoes, cosmetics, etc.—I’m not a fan of book shopping days where young children go off to select books for independent reading from a basket of leveled texts. Quite often the results don’t match our expectations. Even though the books are “at their level,” children often have trouble reading them “cold” with the recommended

Diane Ratvich: Testing Undermines Teaching (Me: And Independent Reading as Well)

2011-04-29T11:00:00.001-04:00

I just had to post this National Public Radio's interview with Diane Ratvitch. She's, of course, right on. Our obsession with testing and preparing kids to take them precludes giving them opportunities to do other important reading work, such as reading on their own.

Okay...So I Lied!

2011-04-27T05:00:00.003-04:00

I said my next post would be on using reading conferences to match kids with books, but when preparing for my IRA presentation I happily stumbled upon an old favorite book that’s just perfect for teachers in grades 2-4 to read aloud to their kids and discuss. The book is The Goat Lady by Jane Bregoli. If you don’t know this book or don’t own it, you simply must purchase a copy for your class. It

Independent Reading—Balancing Choice and Just-Right Reading Materials

2011-04-26T06:17:00.001-04:00

We know that choice is an important component of independent reading. And so is having children read just-right materials. But how do we find the balance between the two, especially when we consider the challenges of children who are just learning to read? Years ago, one of the ways I found the balance was by having two distinct independent reading times of day. During the first independent

Turn the Tables and Put Independent Reading "First"

2011-04-23T05:00:00.001-04:00

All too often we try to fit independent reading into our schedule once all the other parts of our balanced literacy program are in place. We reason that since we're working with small groups of readers or conferring with students one-to-one, we'll simply let the other kids read and provide literacy centers to engage them and keep them busy. But we often don't buy into the important role that

Kids Have to Read a Lot to Get Better at It

2011-04-19T08:24:00.002-04:00

As the school year draws to a close, it’s time to consider which areas of instruction we want to reflect on over the summer months and refine for the coming year. If I were asked this question, improving the quality of children’s independent reading times of day would be at the top of my list. Whether my students were emergent and early readers just starting out or more proficient readers who

I'm Back...

2011-04-18T07:11:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone. Ted and I just returned from a long anticipated trip to Sicily and Barcelona. It was amazing and I hope that you all get the chance to experience both places someday soon—that is if you haven't already done so. (I'm leaving it up to you to infer my inclusion of this "grapes" clipart!) Anyway...I fully intended to post to this blog while we were away but didn't anticipate the

Don't Forget Our Lists

2011-04-11T04:51:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder that we have several lists going in the right-hand column. They've been lying dormant lately and I'd like us to start thinking about books we might add. Here are the categories: Books That Give Kids Something to Think About, Short and Sweet Chapter Books, Picture Books to Help Kids Infer, and Books to Help Kids Visualize. Please send me your suggestions.

Something to Talk About...

2011-04-09T04:27:00.003-04:00

In light of the fact that several of my recents posts have centered around oral language, I think it’s time to create a list of books that most definitely will give kids something to talk about. This past weekend when I presented an in-depth session at the 21st Annual Literacy and Learning Institute in Melville, Long Island, I was lucky enough to hear Carmen Agra Deedy deliver the Saturday

My Re-Envisioned Pillars and an Oral Language Development Webcast

2011-04-06T05:00:00.007-04:00

As you may already know my new book Comprehension from the Ground Up centers upon re-envisioning the "Five Pillars of Reading" to make them more comprehensive and address our current tendency to focus too early and too much on comprehension strategy instruction. We've tended to equate comprehension with comprehension strategy instruction when there's so much more to it than that as my

A Change of Heart, Mind, and Genre—Nonfiction Writing from Day One

2011-04-03T09:01:00.002-04:00

My March 28th blog post about how we’re overdoing personal narratives and need to move kids to different writing genres early on in the school year rather than have them start the year with yet another personal narrative unit has left me to reconsider how I might proceed during the first two weeks of school before the first formal writing unit begins. First I need to describe what I’ve done in

"Talking Twins" YouTube Clip

2011-03-31T17:28:00.000-04:00

You may have already seen this YouTube video of the "Talking Twins" but had to share it anyway. Don't you just love the way these twins are "talking" or at least socializing? And doesn't it make you think of perhaps how natural and important it is to students' growth and learning? And doesn't it make you think of how we can encourage more of that in the classroom? Providing time for talk is an

When Is Enough, Enough in Regards to Personal Narratives?

2011-03-28T20:46:00.002-04:00

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the kinds of writing we ask kids to do. About how writing is both a tool for communication and a way to let learners experience the reading-writing process so that they can better understand texts they read. As I reflect on this I think of David Coleman’s presentation (Coleman’s a co-author of the CCSS) on YouTube where he states that personal narratives (

The Inside Scoop on the Writing Process

2011-03-26T22:13:00.001-04:00

I’m preparing a seminar and came across a list of books I often recommend to help children understand the writing process. Numbers 1-3 are autobiographical or biographical, 4 & 5 are fictional stories, and 6 & 7 are about finding your passion in life and beginning any artistic venture with what you know best. Thought you might be interested in this list. (I’ll leave it up to you to clink the

So Sorry...

2011-03-24T11:05:00.000-04:00

I feel badly that I haven't posted as much these past two weeks as I would have liked. It's just that I've been crazy busy and haven't had a moment to do anything more than the most urgent "do-now." That said, I hope that within the next week I can get myself centered once again and back on track. Thanks for understanding.

Looking for Something Short and Sweet? Try Short Stories...

2011-03-22T22:04:00.001-04:00

Back in January we starting talking about the importance of children reading short, sweet chapter books—books they could wrap their thinking around. Texts they can revisit, reread, and contemplate. It seems to me that short stories, even episodic tales, fit the bill just fine. So here are four collections of short stories you may want to read aloud to your students: Toys Go Out: Being the

Barnes and Noble Search for "Camilla de la Bedoyere" Yields 72 Results

2011-03-20T13:25:00.001-04:00

…And I’d never heard of her. Until last Friday, that is, when I did some professional development at the Kingston, N.Y. Superintendant’s Day Conference. During a lunch break, I toured George Washington Elementary School, the district’s only public Montessori school and one that is sought-after by district families. As I peeked in one of the Children’s House classrooms—those are the multi-age

Building Background Knowledge at Home (Ask Sharon…an Advice Column for Teachers)

2011-03-17T05:00:00.003-04:00

On March 13th Lauren wrote: “Sharon, I'm a mom of three who loves to read blogs about education and, in particular, reading. My oldest is 5 and amazes me everyday with the leaps and bounds in reading that children her age can make. I've been enjoying your blog, and I found the podcast very informative [see March 12th post]. I would love to hear some of your ideas for how parents can expand the

How Much We Remember...With and Without Visuals

2011-03-14T21:06:00.001-04:00

As I consider how writers use their talents to help readers visualize (experience) ideas and information and how readers must pick up where writers leave off by envisioning what was written (see blog posts for Feb. 28th, March 1st, March 4th, and March 9th), I can’t help but recall John Medina’s wise words in his book Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

A "Background Knowledge" TREAT for You!—Pass It On

2011-03-12T12:30:00.006-05:00

I just returned from Seattle and Portland where I spoke with teachers about how too much of our instructional time is spent teaching kids to use comprehension strategies. And that, if we’re truly interested in improving reading comprehension, we need to redirect some of our attention to other comprehension-related areas, such as background knowledge, oral language and vocabulary, and

Anne Lamott—You Make Me Laugh!

2011-03-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Recently, feeling overwhelmed by all I have to do and underwhelmed by my meager writing talents, I was rereading Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life for inspiration to keep going. But what I got instead was a ton of much-needed laughs and some insight into how Anne Lamott does it—make readers laugh that is. Here’s just one example that caused me to herald Ted from

Homework—Reading for the Fun of It

2011-03-07T05:00:00.007-05:00

In Chapter 3 of Comprehension from the Ground Up I tell the story of Sofia, my seven-year-old granddaughter, becoming so totally engaged in putting together her craft jewelry box that she lost track of time. And how two hours later she resurfaced with a gorgeous sparkly jewelry box to show for her efforts. I compared that experience to the type of experiences we should try to create for students

Mirror by Jeannie Baker Is Not to Be Missed

2011-03-06T05:00:00.004-05:00

When Jeannie Baker’s Mirror arrived via my trusty and grossly over-worked UPS delivery man, I wasn’t at all prepared for what I saw when I open the book. Two parallel stories, one set in urban Australia and the other in rural Morocco. In each story a young boy arises while it is still dark to accompany his father on a day-trip. The Australian boy and dad drive to the hardware store to purchase

John Steinbeck, Poetry, and Knowing

2011-03-04T05:00:00.005-05:00

If you know anything at all about me, I bet you know that John Steinbeck is my all-time favorite writer. And our recent thinking about visualization has reminded me of what he once wrote about poetry in a letter to Herbert Sturz, an undergraduate student at Columbia University: “With the rhythms and symbols of poetry one can get into the reader—open him up and while he is open introduce on an

Still Thinking About Visualization

2011-03-01T19:46:00.003-05:00

Monday’s post got me thinking about visualization and exactly what it is that writers do to breathe life into their text. We talk about visualizing all the time but what does it really mean? Clarifying this for myself will help me identify additional titles I can use to demonstrate visualization and explain to children what to look for as they read and to try out when they write. Authors help

Books to Help Kids Visualize (Ask Sharon...an Advice Column for Teachers)

2011-02-28T05:00:00.041-05:00

On February 25th Michele wrote: I am looking for some really good books to teach visualization with my second-grade kiddos. Do you have any suggestions? Dear Michele, When I think of good books to demonstrate visualization, I look for books that evoke ALL the senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch—not simply books that create a mental image. “Visualization” is more expansive than just

The Brain That Does the Work Is the Brain That Learns

2011-02-24T20:38:00.002-05:00

The brain that does the work is the brain that learns. I can’t recall where I read this, so for now let’s simply consider what it means for the children we teach. I’m convinced the implications are profound. And since I don’t want to do all the work (and all the learning), I’m going to pose this prompt and ask you to complete the statement. Then I’ll post your responses so we can consider the

We’re on to Something with Our Short and Sweet Titles

2011-02-24T07:25:00.001-05:00

It’s good to know that what we’re saying about the importance of children reading “short and sweet” titles aligns with the Common Core State Standards. The Common Standards recommend that children spend more time reading short and complex texts—ones they can read and reread multiple times, examine closely for content, structure, and text features, and those that encourage them to think critically

Susan...B...Neuman—Three Words to Get Us Back on the Road to Successful Reading (Ask Sharon...an Advice Column for Teachers)

2011-02-21T09:40:00.002-05:00

On February 11th Mandy asked: When you think or hear the word “kindergarten” what are the top three things in literacy that come to your mind? Play, reading levels, integration? I think it's a tough time to teach primary. Dear Mandy, In considering how to respond to your question, I initially toyed with “interaction,” “socialization,” “developmentally appropriate,” and “play,” as ideas that

Two Great Picture Books to Help Kids Infer

2011-02-18T10:36:00.002-05:00

While it’s true that each and every book children read requires them to infer—to fill in the gaps the author left—there are some books that really get kids thinking about why a character is feeling and behaving as he is. Two of my favorites are Tight Times by Barbara Hazen Shook and Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts. Tight Times is an oldie but goodie. So old that many of you were not even

Don't Assume Too Much

2011-02-16T05:00:00.004-05:00

We often assume kids know more than they actually do. That’s why it’s important to be explicit with them when reading aloud and demonstrating skills or strategies. When I decided to read-aloud Freya Littledale’s The Magic Fish to a first-grade class who were just starting a fairy tale unit, it was to help the kids pay attention to what the fisherman and his wife do, what they say, and even how

Ask Sharon...an Advice Column for Teachers

2011-02-14T08:15:00.003-05:00

Here’s how this "advice column" works: Blog followers will post questions in the “comments” box throughout the week, then I’ll answer one or two early the following week. All unanswered questions will be saved and most likely inform future blog postings. And to anyone new to this blog, trust me, I don't take myself all that seriously...but hey how many opportunities does one get to play Ann

A Podcast Invitation

2011-02-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Franki Sibberson, co-author of Beyond Leveled Books, interviewed me about how I select books for instruction and how I help students make smart and thoughtful book choices for independent reading. This interview, now a podcast “Sharon Taberski on Book Choice” and its accompanying transcript, is available on the Choice Literacy website. I hope you enjoy it. And by the way…

Ask Sharon...an Advice Column for Teachers (can you see me smiling?)

2011-02-11T13:06:00.002-05:00

I have an idea. How about I ask you to post teaching questions throughout the week, and then I select one or two to answer every Monday or Tuesday? Sort of like an “Ann Landers” or “Dear Abby” column, only about teaching! (Just so you know, I’m “playing ” with this advice column format—just trying to have a little fun—and don’t at all take myself seriously. That said, you can count on me to take

Slow and Steady...(You Know the Rest)

2011-02-10T20:37:00.001-05:00

We’re on a fast track in this country. We think that moving kids up to higher and higher reading levels faster and faster is the way to go. We reward kids for reading lots of books, rather than encouraging them to spend time enjoying, learning from, and mining fewer titles. In “The Case for Slow Reading,” Thomas Newkirk makes the case for slowing kids down, rather than speeding them up. He gives

Two Great Read Aloud Titles for the Little Guys

2011-02-09T07:33:00.001-05:00

I can’t wait to share two great titles that are guaranteed to get and keep your little guys engaged and begging you to “read it again.” Some of you may already know and own them, but they’re new to me and I couldn’t be happier. I feel like I found gold. A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson starts out: “There’s a frog on the login the middle of the bog.A small, green frogon a half -sunk logIn the

Some Explicit Teaching Guidelines

2011-02-08T16:57:00.002-05:00

I like to hang out at PS 54, an exemplary elementary school in the South Bronx, where the teachers and administrators are forever pushing my thinking. In fact, being there is like having ready access to a great big bowl of mind-candy with an “Eat up!” sign taped to the side. And, believe me, I partake. (I only hope the teachers I work with learn as much from me as I learn from them.) At the

Let's "Play a Bit" Like They Do in Finland

2011-02-05T07:27:00.001-05:00

The recent New Republic article, They’re Playing in Finland by Samuel E. Adams, about the innovative policies Finland has enacted to revamp their once-mediocre school system is heartening, and reminds me of an encounter I had several years ago with Peter Cunningham, a highly acclaimed photographer that Heinemann hired to take classroom photos for the cover of what was my soon-to-be-published book

Using "Short and Sweet" Texts to Teach Genre

2011-02-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

I’m a huge fan of Benchmark Education and the exemplary teaching materials they publish. Last month I had the pleasure of visiting their Pelham, NY office on my drive from Trumbull, CT where I spend half my time to Brooklyn Heights where I spend the other. I was interested in learning more about their Readers’ and Writers’ Genre Workshop, a new product I was introduced to

The Andy Shane Series for Young Readers

2011-02-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

The Andy Shane series by Jennifer Richard Jacobson offers a well-written and humorous collection of short chapter books for young readers not yet ready to handle longer, more sophisticated titles. Each book in the series has four chapters, and its problem is easily recognizable. (It usually has something to do with Andy Shane's very bossy classmate, Dolores Starbuckle). The best part is that

Background Knowledge—You Have to Have It to Use It

2011-01-31T13:42:00.000-05:00

Nothing is as important to children’s reading comprehension as the knowledge and experience they bring to texts. You’ve heard this before. In college courses, in seminars, in professional literature. Background knowledge RULES. We know from our own experience that it’s difficult to understand a text whose topic we know little about, a medical journal or financial report,

A Paradigm Change—Food for Thought

2011-01-30T09:10:00.001-05:00

I recently received this link to a YouTube video from a New York City principal I worked with over the last couple years. I found it most interesting and engaging, and thought you might too. It's called Changing Education Paradigms by Ken Robinson. It's twelve minutes long and cuts off at the end. If we're successful finding the entire presentation, I'll be sure to send it along. Certainly,

A Call for Interaction

2011-01-28T17:13:00.001-05:00

Remember the January 26th post about the importance of interaction? About how essential it is for children to interact with texts and one another to fully comprehend what they read? Well the same need for interaction applies to a blog moderator (that’s me) and fellow bloggers (that’s you). I need to hear from you—what you’re thinking, what you’re reading, what practices you’re trying so I can

Another Short, Sweet Chapter Book—Not My Dog!

2011-01-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

Here’s another short, sweet chapter book—Not My Dog! by Colby Rodowsky. Eight-year-old Ellie wants a puppy, one she can name something special, one she can take for a million walks, and one she can teach to come and sit and stay. But what she gets instead is a full-grown square-headed, pointy-eared, skinny-tailed dog. One she’s forced to take on as her pet because her great Aunt Margaret can no

Reader Response: Authentic Interaction or Code for Test Prep?

2011-01-26T14:55:00.000-05:00

When I consult in school districts, I often have to first sort through what they say they want me do to get to what they really want me to do. For example, schools often insist that their students need more work with reader response when what they actually mean is that they need help getting kids to effectively respond to test prompts. Here we have an apples and oranges

Flat Stanley Is Alive and Well (Traveled)

2011-01-24T09:22:00.003-05:00

My last encounter (until recently) with Flat Stanley came two years ago when my granddaughter Sofia sent me an envelope with none other than Flat Stanley inside, asking that I show him the sights and then get photos and travel descriptions back to her so she and her classmates could learn more about Brooklyn Heights. Hmm… so Stanley and I went out to the Brooklyn Promenade one blustery winter

To Get Kids in Touch with What the Characters Are Thinking—Try a Tableau

2011-01-23T09:12:00.001-05:00

I first heard of having kids enact a tableau and saw it demonstrated years and years ago at a session Timothy Rasinski did at a reading conference. And while it looked like fun, I never actually got around to trying it out with my kids. I guess never quite envisioned its potential. And then a couple weeks ago, I read about tableaus again in Dr. Sandra Mercuri’s Research-Based Strategies for

A Fork in the Road...

2011-01-23T01:17:00.000-05:00

As I read your comments regarding short and sweet chapter books, I see a need to divide this category into two. The first for younger elementary-grade readers and the second for older elementary-grade readers. You'll find these two categories listed separately along the right-hand column of this blog. Thanks for your suggestions. I plan to enter a few of my own this coming week.

If You Like Mercy Watson...

2011-01-22T08:47:00.002-05:00

Linda’s recommendation of the Mercy Watson series (see comment box for January 20) as great books for our short and sweet chapter books list reminded me of a “series” of new picture books I recently came across (and now own) that are written and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, the illustrator of the Mercy Watson series. They’re about Mr. Magee and his dog Dee—and yep, they rhyme. Besides the

Chapter Books—Short and Sweet

2011-01-20T17:58:00.002-05:00

Do you feel that you’re working too hard at getting kids to understand books they’re reading independently? Are you concerned that there’s never enough time for kids to talk about what they’re reading? The problem might be that the books they’re reading are too hard—and too long. In fact, I’m convinced this is the root cause of many of the comprehension problems children face in the middle

Announcing a Five-Week-Long Webinar

2011-01-16T22:23:00.003-05:00

The webinar will be based on ideas presented in this book. I will be hosting a five-week-long Heinemann Webinar Workshop series starting February 26. For information on how to register, go to the Heinemann's website: http://heinemann.com/PD/webbased/products/WBST.aspx

More Alike Than Different

2011-01-12T16:57:00.003-05:00

This summer I attended the wedding of Ann Marie Corgill, a close friend and colleague, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and had the pleasure of meeting her new father-in-law. As Bob and I spoke (and teased) about things "northern" and "southern," I happened to say that "we're more alike than different." And for some reason this stuck with him, and re-directed our conversation—from how southerners seem to

Sense and Meaning

2011-01-09T17:23:00.004-05:00

A resource I find myself returning to repeatedly is David Sousa's How the Brain Learns. Sousa makes an interesting distinction on page 49 and 50 between sense and meaning, two criteria that increase the likelihood of new information being stored in long-term memory. Sense refers to whether or not the information is comprehensible to the learner. Does the sentence or passage make sense? Meaning

Something to Think About

2011-01-04T17:36:00.001-05:00

During the past holiday season Ted and I went to the Irish Repertory Theatre in New York City for a concert performance of Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas in Wales. The five vocalists were highly accomplished for sure, but I was aware throughout that I was having to work really hard (too hard, in fact) at understanding and enjoying the story they were telling through song and brief narration.

Serendipity...or What

2011-01-04T17:32:00.002-05:00

After I finished my earlier (January 4th) blog entry, I began googling "comprehension" as I so often do to see where it would lead me. Well...it led me to Tanny McGregor's Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading and a reminder that although I own Tanny's book I had never read it. So that's how I spent the rest of the afternoon...reading through this compelling book about the

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:41:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to start a blog for a while now and have finally decided to give it a try. I must say it's not as easy as I thought—or more accurately—it's as difficult as I feared. (I've actually written and have twice tried to publish this opening entry, without success, and am hoping that three's the charm.) As you can tell from the titles of my recent publications, I've been thinking a