Keepin' On with the Comprehension Toolkit

We are keeping on with the Comprehension Toolkit.  Last year I made it through the first two books.  My goal this year is to make it through four of the six books.  I'm almost finished with the first two, so I think I'm right on track!

 

We just completed the "Merge Your Thinking with New Learning" lesson for the first time.  I say first time, because these lessons are pretty deep.  They're definitely worth doing several times.  This was our first time and it was my observation lesson!  We have a two week observation window, but our principal doesn't mind a "Hey, we're doing at great lesson at this time" e-mail.  

The point of the lesson is to get kids to notice when they already know something and when they create new learning.  The theme of read/write/talk continues.  

•The toolkit teaches kids that when they read, they must stop, think, and react.  
•Writing down this thoughts will help them hold onto that learning.  
•Finally, talking about it will help cement it even more.  

Moving on, I read them the first few pages of this book:

While I read, I modeled noticing when I read something I already knew and when I read something that was new learning.  I jotted down the new learning and any questions it might have made me ask.  I asked them to share also.  We made an anchor chart of things our thinking voice says to us that signals new learning.

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Then I turned them over to the article "Kaboom".  Our reading series came with a Time for kids book of articles.  They're perfect for the Toolkit!  I make copies for the kids so they can stop and jot while they read.  They did the read/write part, particularly noticing when they learned something new.

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After reading the article, they did the talk part and discussed it in small groups. (They really did! They really did!  Love the Toolkit!)

Finally, we came back together and discussed the anchor chart and added any knew phrases that signaled new learning.
Got my observation form back and few days later, and it was awesome.  Yippee!!
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