Compare/Contrast Literacy in the Classroom (Alison DiStefano)

So far, I have seen very little variety when it comes to literacy in the classroom. Unfortunately, it feels as though we are still in the first week of school. My teacher still seems to struggle with classroom management and keeping up with her schedule each day.

Each morning, the students are expected to come into the classroom (quietly of course), put their book bags away, and pick a book out of the book bin in the center of their table (there are tables with 4 students at each). Once they pick a book they are to sit there and read independently until they are instructed to do otherwise. Sometimes they are sitting there reading silently for as long as an hour and a half. I am all for independent reading but I feel as though it is hard to expect students to come in in the morning and remain silent and interested in a book for that long right off the bat. They are chatty and eager to get their day started! I think independent reading is best later in the school day and not for that long stretch of time.

Every week we have a read aloud where my CT picks one book to read aloud to the class. They use their instructional focus for that week and incorporate it into their reading strategies. This has had great success with the students. It generates discussion and keeps them focused on the instructional focus for the week.

Each week we take the instructional focus and develop it through text connections. With the read aloud, my CT can help them see the different focuses (i.e. motives, cause & effect, prediction, etc...). They then can take it with them and do it on their own through independent reading (or so we hope!). Writers workshop is where we are able to assess them on these instructional focuses and how well they understand the concepts. They explore the concepts and use them to enhance their writing. Although, the only problem is I feel that a week is way too short to introduce, teach, & expect students to expand on an instructional focus only to introduce a NEW one the following week.

I feel like literacy is incorporated throughout the day but the variety is missing. Hopefully different types of literacy will be incorporated soon. If not, I will be able to introduce them during guided lead teaching!