th
44 Annual Conference on Reading and Writing Friday March 16, 2012
DIRECTORS’ LETTER The Common Core State Standards for Literacy: How do we make them Work? The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are an attempt to coordinate the education of the children the United States. The CCSS raise questions of concern that deal with how to implement them and are their goals really the right goals for the children we teach. One of the elements we like very much about these standards is that they are manageable. They don’t involve a list of hundreds of skills to acquire in one school year. The standards are like a spiral staircase. That is, a standard in third grade builds on the same one in second, first and kindergarten. You can see a definitive continuum. Skills and strategies are repeated but at a more complex level as one goes up the grades. The ultimate goal of these standards is for students to become critical thinkers about what they read. Text becomes more complex and therefore the child is asked to engage in higher order thinking. The standards ask that the teacher expose children to varied types of text with equal emphasis on Informational Literature, and Narrative Literature. The standards want children to read magazines, poetry, novels, newspapers, and more. The CCSS are also intended to
help children learn information and increase their vocabulary in many areas of the curriculum. To do this the standards put an emphasis on integrating the use of literacy strategies into content areas such as social studies and science. Using themes for learning will help to achieve that goal. The standards also emphasize the need to be literate with technology. Although there aren’t any PreK national standards yet we believe there will be. Many states have PreK standards for literacy already. Therefore, it is important to include PreK in the discussion of the CCSS. At this time we can adjust them for four-year-olds. Most importantly, the standards suggest that every teacher is a teacher of reading and writing whether it is during language arts, science or social studies. The standards discuss six areas which include (1) Narrative Literature and (2) Informational Literature. In each of these two standards there are anchor standards that are the same and they include, Key Ideas and Details, Crafted Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, Range of Reading and Level of text Complexity. The next major heading
is (3) Foundational Skills and the anchor standards in this area are Print Concepts, Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Word Recognition, and Fluency for Kindergarten through grade 2. In grades 3 to 5 they are Phonics, Word Recognition and Fluency. Writing is given a prominent spot in these standards. (4) Writing is thought about carefully and given the importance it should have. In Writing the anchor standards are Text Types and Purposes, Production and Distribution of Writing, Research to Build and Present knowledge, and Range of Writing. The next standard is (5) Speaking and Listening and the anchor standards in this category are Comprehension and Collaboration, and Presentation of knowledge and Ideas. The Final standard is (6) Language and the Anchor Standards are Conventions of Standard English, Knowledge of Language and Vocabulary Acquisition. Many states are are looking at their standards and comparing them to the CCSS to see how they match. They are finding that their state standards have many more required skills to learn whereas the CCSS is more
Directors
Lesley M. Morrow Michelle L. Rosen
Booklet Design Irving Z. Roman interested in depth rather than breadth. We are very much in favor of the fact that the CCSS are not as packed with enormous numbers of skills that can’t be accomplished. Teachers and children are overwhelmed about what they need to teach and learn in a given year and many children don’t learn them all. The CCSS have a spiral effect and build on fewer skills but over a longer period. The same skill however requires more complex thinking as it goes up the grades. For example in writing under “Anchor Standard Research to Build and Present Knowledge,” one of the kindergarten skills is: a. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. The exact same skill is listed for first grade. b. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. In grade two this standard is to: c. Recall information from experiences or gather information
from provided sources to answer a question. The only difference here is that it does not involve guidance and support from an adult. For third grade it is: d. Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories, etc. You can see the continuity between grades and the addition of one more element that makes the task a bit more complex but with time to keep practicing the task. We believe that the CCSS with fewer skills to teach that are repeated throughout the grades will enable children to learn them more proficiently. Reading and writing do need to be emphasized all day long in school through content areas. As you go to the workshops, exhibits and keynote events please note what is being said about the CCSS. I hope you have a wonderful day and come back next year.
Contact
Michelle Rosen Graduate School of Ed. Rutgers University 10 Seminary Pl, Rm 205D New Brunswick NJ 08901 732-932-7496 x 8353
On the Cover
Lesley M Morrow
Michelle Rosen
KEYNOTES
What’s This World Coming To?�: Walking Fearlessly Forward Towards New Horizons in Literacy Instruction
Lucy Calkins
The adoption of the Common Core State Standards and the demands of our global information economy pose important new challenges for teachers of reading and writing. In this keynote session, Calkins will talk about some of the important new horizons that we all need to be reaching towards, and the methods we can use to get there. Expect to be given insights not only into how you can teach interpretive and critical reading of fiction and nonfiction, but also into how you can work together with colleagues to create systems of continuous improvement in your school. This keynote will be broad reaching, and will help you leave with a sense of urgency and of hope.
Teachers College Reading & Writing Project Sponsored by Heinemann Publishers
It’s Pronounced “da-POW-la.” Beloved Award winning author we all grew up with. Best known for Strega Nona, The Art Lesson, The Cloud Book and more. We will be honoring Tomie for his outstanding work as an author of children's literature at the conference.
Tomie DePaolo Author www.tomie.com
MORNING SESSIONS
“Free the child’s potential, and you will transform him into the world.” - Maria Montessori
1)Teaching Literacy Using the Common Core State Standards during Explicit Instruction and in the Content Areas: Organizing , Differentiating, and Motivating Instruction. (Prek-3) Lesley M. Morrow, Rutgers, The State University of NJ Sponsored by William H. Sadlier, Inc. This session emphasizes the importance of teaching reading using the Common Core State Stands (CCSS). The presenter will discuss the need to teach reading all day in early childhood classrooms. Reading and writing are taught explicitly using differentiated instruction during the language arts block that include use of the CCSS. The CCSS will also be taught in content areas such as social studies, science, art, music, etc. to acquire knowledge, vocabulary and complex literacy skills.
2) We Could Teach Every Child to Read, But Will We? (Prek-3) Richard Allington, University of Tennessee Sponsored by American Reading Company Evidence from several recent studies indicates that at least 98% of entering kindergartners could be reading on level at the end of first grade. With no further intervention 80% of the at-risk children were still on grade level at the end of 4th grade. In these studies expert and intensive intervention was provided in K and first grade to at-risk readers. Unfortunately, such expert tutoring is rarely available in American schools even though such early intervention is less expensive than the current system that deals with at-risk readers largely through special education and retention in grade.
3) Developmental Word Knowledge: Vocabulary, Spelling, Phonics, and the Common Core (Prek-3) Shane Templeton, University of Nevada, Reno Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt How do word study – vocabulary, phonics, and spelling – and young children’s reading and writing all come together? We address this question by exploring the most effective ways for developing young children’s awareness of the form and function of the printed word, as well as expanding young children’s conceptual understandings that words represent.
“Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.” - Chinese proverb
4) The Do’s and Don’ts of Comprehension Instruction (Prek-3) Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant Sponsored by Zaner Bloser Does having students answer main idea, inference, supporting detail, vocabulary, and drawing-conclusion questions really constitute good comprehension instruction? Are research and even the common core standards challenging some of our long-accepted views about teaching comprehension? Come have a look at what should and should not be challenged and get practical tips for your classroom.
5) Young Writers in New Jersey: Process and Traits to Develop (PreK-3) Scott Miller, National Consultant Sponsored by Zaner Bloser, Inc. In this highly interactive session, participants will learn, practice, & apply techniques to support young writers. Participants will experience a variety of trait-specific strategies addressing multiple learning styles within the writing process. Authentic student writing models and trait-specific formative rubrics designed especially for primary students will be used in the workshop, and special emphases will be placed upon assessment and revision for primary students in New Jersey.
6) Efficient Assessment: Coming to Know Children as Readers (3-8) Frank Serafini, Arizona State University Assessing students often takes up valuable teaching time. Making assessment efficient, while providing valuable information is key to a successful assessment framework. This session will focus on enlarging our understandings of the assessments we use to understand our students as readers. Five highly effective and efficient assessment practices will be demonstrated.
7) Improving Content Area Reading with Read Alouds: An Instructional Investment for Layering Vocabulary and Concepts for Subject Specific Study(4-8) Lester Laminak, Educational Consultant Sponsored by Booksource A set of thoughtfully selected and “planfully” used picture books can be the scaffold to strengthen topic specific teaching and learning. Come explore how a well-chosen text set can be organized to include read aloud, literature circles, and independent reading that will layer in vocabulary, scaffold concepts and help students visualize what they are reading in content area materials.
8) Lessons from Chevys: Motivation and Assisting the Literacy Learning of Boys (and Girls Too!) (4-8) Michael Smith, Temple University Sponsored by Scholastic, Inc. Have you ever said to a student, “If you would just spend as much time on my class as you do on _____ (sports, video games, etc.), you’d be doing great?” In this session we’ll explore both what motivates kids’ engagement in their outof-school activities and approaches to teaching reading and writing that provide that same kind of motivation.
9) Integrating NJASK Test Prep into Reading & Writing Workshops(4-8) Nancy Jennison, Educational Consultant Sponsored by Scholastic, Inc. Learn practical teaching strategies and activities that will engage your students while preparing for the NJASK test. See how to integrate test prep into your reading and writing workshops without sacrificing quality instruction. Authentic classroom-based examples will be provided.
10) The World is Flat, Common Core State Standards,Waiting for Superman: Where is all of This Heading and What Does it Mean for Literacy Education in the U.S.? (K-8) Ray Reutzel, Utah State University Sponsored by William H. Sadlier, Inc. This session will discuss the convergence of global forces that have come together in our day to shape the future of education, schools, and literacy instruction. This session is a real eye opener because as Freidman (2005) has said, for the most part, educators have been asleep to these forces and do not understand why things are happening as they are. Come prepared to “wake up” to the forces that have flattened the world, issued a call to Superman, and resulted in the Common Core State Standards.
11) Using Technology in the Language Arts Classroom: 21st Century Skills Christina Spiezio, Edison Public Schools In this session, explore easy-to-use Web 2.0 tools for the Language Arts classroom. You will meet VoiceThread, Glogster, and Wall Wisher; three key tools that help enhance students’ 21st century skills by incorporating multimedia, communication, and collaboration. At the end of the session, you will leave with new tools to immediately integrate into any classroom!
AFTERNOON SESSIONS
“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.” -John F. Kennedy
1) Improving Content Area Reading with Read Alouds: An Instructional Investment for Layering Vocabulary and Concepts for Subject Specific Study (Prek-3) Lester Laminak, Educational Consultant Sponsored by Booksource A set of thoughtfully selected and “planfully” used picture books can be the scaffold to strengthen topic specific teaching and learning. Come explore how a well-chosen text set can be organized to include read aloud, literature circles, and independent reading that will layer in vocabulary, scaffold concepts and help students visualize what they are reading in content area materials.
2) A Global, Unified Assessment: Monitoring the Phases of Reading/Writing/ Spelling Development (Prek-3) Richard Gentry, Educational Consultant Sponsored by Zaner Bloser Did you ever wonder how reading, writing, and spelling develop together? Can you look at spelling phases and predict a child’s guided reading level or vice versa? Reading, writing, and spelling are all connected in the brain and develop in concert. Rather than an atomistic view of reading with isolated skills assessments, teachers can track reading, writing, and spelling development globally through phase analysis in grades K-3. See how this unified view of reading, writing, and spelling allows you to monitor how the processes all work together and helps you target instruction.
3) Improving Young Students’ Comprehension through Text Structure Instruction: A Study of Children’s Information Trade Books (Prek-3) Ray Reutzel, Utah State University Sponsored by William H. Sadlier, Inc. This presentation focuses on information texts commonly available in elementary classrooms and whether they provide exceptionally clear text structure examples to be used in instruction to improve learners’ comprehension, composition, and acquisition of content knowledge. This workshop will provide examples of information books that exemplify clear expository text structures (from a year long study.) Participants will learn about these text structures, see examples of texts and learn how to identify text structures, and participate in a guided lesson study experience to design a lesson to teach expository text structures.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” -Albert Einstein 4) Gaining Skills and Strategies for the NJASK and other High Stakes Tests in Grades PreK-3 Janet Higgins, East Amwell Schools What skills and strategies do primary students need to in their “toolbox” for achievement on the NJASK and other High Stakes Tests? This session will explore the developmentally appropriate language arts literacy skills necessary to build a strong foundation for success on formative and summative assessment including NJASK and NJPASS. Teachers will gain knowledge and come away with teaching techniques and ideas to use right away in the classroom.
5) Evidence on Developing Readers in Grades 4 through 8 Richard Allington, University of Tennessee Sponsored by American Reading Co. Richard Allington will talk about the witnessing the demise of reading instruction in grades 4-8. According to Alllington, years ago, all core reading programs were published with K through 8th grade curriculum materials. The gradual replacement of reading instruction in grade 4 through 8 with English/Language Arts instruction has created a situation in which reading development slows or end after grades 4 or 5. We can change this but change will require considerable rethinking of the middle school curriculum.
6) Revolutionizing Vocabulary Instruction: Learning Words and Learning How They Work (4-8) Shane Templeton, University of Nevada, Reno Sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt We will explore generative vocabulary instruction that underlies students’ reading & writing across all subject matter domains. Specifically, we will address research-based strategies for 1) growing vocabulary knowledge; 2) selecting and teaching individual words & concepts for deep understanding; and 3) teaching the process of how Greek& Latin word parts combine so that students generalize this understanding to the analysis and acquisition of new vocabulary in their reading & learning in all content areas.
7) Lessons in Comprehension: Creating Space for Reading Instruction (3-8) Frank Serafini, Arizona State University Creating effective instructional experiences to develop proficiency in reading comprehension can be challenging for many teachers. This session will focus on developing children’s reading comprehension strategies through interactive discussion strategies & explicit comprehension lessons.
8) Increasing Writing Test Scores and Proficiency with Process-Driven,TraitSpecific Writing Instruction (4-8) Scott Miller, National Consultant Sponsored by Zaner Bloser, Inc. In this highly interactive session, participants will discover how to structure, develop, elaborate, lengthen, and clarify compositions written for specific audiences. This workshop will overview/review the six traits of writing and the steps of the writing process. Participants will use authentic student writing models, student-friendly formative rubrics, and practical hands-on activities to master trait-specific revision strategies. Special emphases will be placed upon standards and assessment in New Jersey.
9) Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements (4-8) Michael Smith, Temple University Sponsored by Scholastic In this presentation Michael Smith will share how new understandings of conventional literary elements coupled with a commitment to teaching interpretive strategies rather than specific interpretations can foster students’ engagement in and understanding of literature.
10) Sing, Write and Learn: Using Songwriting Across the Curriculum and Accomplishing the Common Core Standards (K-8) John Farrell, Author and Storyteller This interactive session will introduce songs, activities, and methods that teachers can use across the curriculum. The songs and songwriting activities tap into children’s different learning styles and their natural love of music. You can use music to teach and enrich topics in science, nature studies, social studies, math, health, literacy and more. Material presented will include songs, sheet music and activities from John Farrell’s seven CD’s, three books and songbook. Topics include Oceans, Amphibians, Sharks, Dinosaurs, Continents, Bears, Habitats, Books, Astronomy, Math and more
NEW loser B r e n a Z From
Voices Literature & Writing •
• •
Provides equal access to culturally responsive literature through the teacher read-aloud process Invites active participation in focused oral language, vocabulary, deep comprehension and responsive writing activities Improves student writing through minilessons that use models from the literature and build to a culminating, process-based writing project
Voices Leveled Library • • • •
Fits into any literacy framework for small-group reading instruction and independent reading Titles that support anti-bullying initiatives and building a positive school climate Organized around six Universal Themes -- Identity Awareness; Perspective Taking; Conflict Resolutlion; Family, Friends, and Community; Social Awareness and Democracy Includes 648 titles for Guided Reading Levels AA-Z, covering Grades K-6
% the Meets 100 State Core Common for both rd a Stand s Writing & es ...Address Language ss Proce Model 1 Writing + 6 / g n ti Wri
NEW Addresses 6 + 1 / Process Writing
Strategies for Writers Š 2013 Is a complete writing and grammar program: for Grades K-8 that prepares all students to be proficient and effective 21st century writers. This rigorous and effective program provides the foundation for creative and purposeful expression in language and promotes digital media literacy through cutting-edge, integrated technology tools. This is the ONLY program that meets 100% of the Common Core State Standards for Writing and Language. Eden Sonta North Jersey Representative eden.sonta@zaner-bloser.com
www.zaner-bloser.com • 800.421.3018
Susan Kilkenny Central & South Jersey Representative susan.kilkenny@zaner-bloser.com
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Dr. William Firestone leads an Ed.D. course in Educational Supervision, during summer 2011.
Register for Summer Today! Engage in stimulating study led by top education professionals on campus, in your community or right from your home computer. Doctoral, Masters and NonDegree programs such as Supervisor, Special Education, /'7& 3 DQG 7HDFKLQJ RI :ULWLQJ FHUWLÂżFDWH SURJUDPV are available on campus, off-campus locations or online. Our off-campus and online course schedule is available by visiting: www.gse.rutgers.edu/ContinuingEd. 7R ÂżQG RXW KRZ \RX FDQ VWDUW DGYDQFLQJ \RXU FDUHHU this summer please contact cegp@gse.rutgers.edu or 732-932-7496 ext. 8300
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Jersey Roots, Global Reach
Edward B. Fry Award Recipients
Jennifer Del Nero
Jennifer Renner Del Nero is currently a third year Ph.D. student in the Language and Literacy program at Rutgers University, New Brunswick and an instructor of college courses in general education and English education. Recent publications include book chapters co-written with her advisor, Dr. Lesley Morrow, in Best practices in literacy instruction and Literacy development in the early years: Helping children read and write. Del Nero received her master’s degree in English at Rutgers University, Camden. Prior to attending the Ph.D. program, she was a sixth and seventh grade Language Arts Literacy at Green Brook Middle School, Green Brook, N.J. Del Nero’s research interests surround adolescent literacy motivation. Her dissertation study will consider the impact of bridging out of school literacy experiences with academic reading in a middle school classroom through the implementation of a pilot unit stemming from adolescent popular culture. She would like to thank her advisor, Dr. Morrow, for all of the opportunities and support she has provided her. Her former middle school students continue to serve as the voice and inspiration behind all of her research studies and endeavors.
Anne Peel graduated from Vassar College with a degree in English, and later earned her MsEd in Secondary Education from the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education. She has been teaching English in both Philadelphia and New Jersey public high schools since 1998, as well as teaching developing writing classes at Burlington County College and facilitating professional development workshops throughout New Jersey. In addition to teaching, Anne has been a doctoral student in the Department of Learning and Teaching at Rutgers GSE for the past six years and will be defending her dissertation this May. Her dissertation is titled, Back and forth: The effect of dialogic writing engagement on learning outcomes among adolescent students. Her dissertation research centers on the role of dialogue in adolescent student writing practices. In order to better understand how dialogue engages teenagers in both traditional and multimodal academic writing assignments and how deeper engagement might influence writing outcomes, Anne conducted a multi-case study investigation of 10th grade English students in the suburban New Jersey high school where she teaches. Early findings, based on weekly observations, multiple interviews, and extensive artifact collection, suggest that adolescent students are deeply engaged in dialoguing through, about, and beyond their written texts as a means of infusing academic discourse with a stronger connection to their own identity. In addition, the data analysis reveals that students' writing outcomes are more inventive, designoriented, and conventionally proficient when a writing task affords greater dialogic opportunities.
Anne Peel
Exhibitors Abrams Learning Trends Terry Cavanagh zenac@abramslearningtrends.com
Michaels Associates, LLC Greg Michaels gmichaels@michaelsassociates.com
American Reading Company Scott Stacy SStacy@americareading.com
Mondo Publishing Maureen Lally, John Lally, Steve Hunt Maureenlally@verizon.net, shunt1944@aol. com,johnlally45@gmail.com
Benchmark Education Robin Sherman tlcinnj@aol.com Booksource Bruce Conord bookery@mac.com Brightpoint Literacy Maureen Lally, John Lally, Steve Hunt Maureenlally@verizon.net, shunt1944@aol. com,johnlally45@gmail.com Curriculum Associates Charlie Eisenberger chaseisen@aol.com Great Source-Rigby-Steck Vaughn Joan Wright & Dana MacWithey joan.wright@hmhpub.com dana.macwithy@hmhpub.com Heinemann Publishers Maureen Lally, John Lally, Steve Hunt Maureenlally@verizon.net, shunt1944@aol. com,johnlally45@gmail.com Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Elizabeth Schrader, Jason Testa Elizabeth.Schrader@hmhpub.com Lynda Dixon Books Developmental Studies Center Pacific Learning Evan Moor Scobre Publishing Crabtree Publishing Lynda@lxdixonbooks.com McGraw-Hill School Education Group Linda Freeman linda-freeman@mcgraw-hill.com
Pearson Sandy Brand sandy.brand@pearson.com People’s Education/Brightpoint Literacy David Shiffman DShiffman@peoplesed.com Perfection Learning George Sangiovanni gsangiovanni@perfectionlearning.com Rally Education Maureen Lally, John Lally, Steve Hunt Maureenlally@verizon.net, shunt1944@aol. com,johnlally45@gmail.com Scholastic Education Representative: Patricia Gallagher pgallagher@scholastic.com Schoolwide, Inc. Representative: Seymour Josephson sjosephson@schoolwide.com Sundance/Newbridge Representative: Sam Felicia skaterun@aol.com Teacher Created Materials: Representative :Dana Weinstein dweinstein@teachercreatedmaterials.com William H. Sadlier, Inc. Representative: Mary Palladino mpalladino@sadlier.com Zaner-Bloser Eden Sonta, Susan Kilkenny susan.kilkenny@zaner-bloser.com eden.sonta@zaner-bloser.com
Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the following people and companies for supporting the 44th Annual Reading and Writing Conference: ■ The presenters for bringing their expertise. ■ Heinemann for sponsoring Lucy Calkins. ■ Booksource for sponsoring Lester Laminak. ■ Zaner Bloser for sponsoring Scott Miller. ■ American Reading Company for sponsoring Richard Allington ■ William H. Sadlier for sponsoring Lesley M. Morrow and Ray Reutzel. ■ Houghton Miflfin Harcourt for sponsoring Shane Templeton. ■ Scholastic for sponsoring Michael Smith and Nancy Jennison ■ The exhibitors for their continued support of the conference. ■ Thank you to the exhibitors who have generously provided door prizes to our participants. ■ The facilitators for helping to make the day run smoothly. ■ The Center for Literacy Development at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education.
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