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A Guide to Guided Reading (An open invitation of vulnerability for my phonics colleagues)

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A Guide to Guided Reading (An open invitation of vulnerability for my phonics colleagues) ©Google Images   By Cameron Carter It’s 9:00 a.m., and I’ve just sat down with my first guided reading group of the day. The children know the expectations, as they have been modeled for months. As I get my anecdotal notes ready from the previous day’s discussion, the children get started rereading the text in their brains. I immediately begin quickly doing an informal running record on a few students to see how they are coming along with the text. A child comes across a challenging word in the text: Teacher (T): (provides a few seconds of wait time for the child to try and solve) Student (S): (student first looks at the photo/illustration, then immediately checks the letters to look for parts and/or chunks in the word that he/she may know, and finally looks at me… NOTE: this whole process happens very quickly) (T): Check the letters and look for parts you know from FunDati
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Improving Readers NOT "Low" Readers

Improving Readers NOT “Low” Readers By: Cameron Carter I genuinely hope I am not the only educator whose blood begins to boil when I hear teachers refer to their students as “my LOW readers” (NOTE: Yes, I purposely put “LOW” in uppercase letters because we all know that teacher who emphasizes the “LOW” part). I was inspired to write this short post after hearing Dr. Alfred Tatum speak at our annual Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA) conference. Dr. Tatum stated, “there is no research that shows giving children easy texts will improve their reading skills and abilities.” The quote rang in my ears because I instantly connected to what he was saying. For years in my guided reading book clubs, I’ve always asked higher order critical thinking questions to all my groups. I don’t care what “level” they are reading, all children can make an inference and make a prediction about the text. Children are fantastic at letting their imagination and curiosit
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Leave It To... US

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Leave It To... US ©Google Images   It's a Wednesday morning. I woke up, poured a large cup of coffee, sat down on the couch, and turned on the television. As I flipped through the channels, a wave of nostalgia filled my head. I decided to turn on the show, "Leave It To Beaver." As I was watching, I observed something that infuriated the depths of my soul. Let me set the scene.   Wally, Beaver's older brother, saw a girl outside during school. She is known to be one of the smartest and prettiest girls in the school.  Wally asked, "How did you do on the exam?"  The girl replied, "I got a B+, What about you, Wally?"  Wally replied, "Eh, well, I missed the third question." A look of shamefulness fell upon his face.  Why? Why do our students have to feel embarrassed and ashamed? I have observed similar situations like this throughout my educational journey. The negative stigma of having "good grades" and gett
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Around: A Poem of Life in Transit

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Around : A Poem of Life in Transit Around 1992  it was cold. Frigid to be exact. A premature baby boy was welcomed into the world.                         Two pairs of wide eyes gazed in amazement at the beautiful creation.  Around 1993  the boy turned one. What a year. Lack of sleep. Cries galore.  Around 1995  sickness. The boy? No, the giver of life. She prevailed. That year, the elves took                         the boy's bottles. Frustration, yet satisfaction of all parties.  Around 1997  he entered the place where a few hours away from her seemed like an eternity.                         Once more, cries galore. Shyness.  Around 1998 loss introduced. Confusion. Questions. Answers wanted. Answers received.  Around 2000  the boy found travel. Disney to be precise. The millennium was in full swing, and so                         were the piles of batteries and cases of water. Panic. Worry. Ah, at ease.  Around 2001  changes were evident.
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#OneWord2018: Rejuvenate

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#OneWord2018: Rejuvenate Ah, another fresh start to the new year! What changes will you make for yourself or others? This has been the ultimate question on my mind for the past few weeks.  All over social media, I observed my professional learning community writing various blog posts about their "one word" for the new year. I hesitated writing my own because at the time, I was not sure I could even wrap my brain around one word to define my goals. One day, as I was sitting having a conversation with my grandma, it hit me like a stack of books... REJUVENATE .  Over the years, I've had many serious conversations with my grandma. This one, in particular, seemed to be on the brink of solemness. My grandmother knows she is coming near the end of her life. Age does not define the power of the mind. She is still as sharp as a tack. Yet, even though her days may be numbered, she still keeps a glimmer, some may say a sparkle, in her eyes. I sat down and shared with
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Be Vulnerable, Be YOU!

Another Experience, Another Blog Post As many of you know, I recently joined the world of blogging. It has been an overwhelming positive experience; therefore I am writing a second post in just the same week! Trust me, don't get used to it! I have some extra time on my hands during winter break, so I am busy writing away for myself! It has been pleasurably enjoyable, and I look forward to continuing to write blog posts at least twice a month! Everywhere I seem to go, I now view it as a "blog-worthy" experience. This is one of those times... Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Lowe's I go... Tis' the season filled with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Just like many of you, I always dread what I am going to buy for the loved ones in my life. One day last week, I sat deliberating in a quaint coffee shop for gifts I should buy. Suddenly, it struck me like the wind had been knocked out of my chest! It was the magical light bulb that tends to spark my brain! I kn
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Building Writers, Not Scribes

Reading & Writing: A Reciprocal Process Reading and writing are interconnected processes that are woven together like a spider web. Research shows as students read more, their writing improves, and vice versa. This idea is critical when it comes to building upon the strengths of students during writing instruction. Each and every day, my goal is to INSPIRE writers to take what they are already doing ever so well, and help them exponentially GROW! As educators, we expect our students to read a text using all of his or her monitoring strategies, and then answer comprehension questions about the text. We simply do not ask the child to just read a story and then move on to another task. It is almost our second nature as teachers to begin asking the child questions to see if he or she made meaning of the text. Build Writers, Not Scribes If reading and writing are interconnected, then we should treat writing instruction just as we do reading instruction. I have seen far too man
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