Reading Conferences and Reading Folders

DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Reading Conferences

One-on-one meeting with student

Purposes of Conferences

Get to know student as a reader – attitude, interests, preferences

Assess student’s comprehension Take a running record to identify

student’s strategies Focus on one or two teaching points Set goals and plan for instruction Find new books for independent reading

Talk about Yamel:

What did you learn about her as a reader?

What strategies did you see her using?

How was her comprehension? What teaching points and goals

might you have for her?

Reading Folders

Reading Log – where students keep a record of books read

Assessment Notebook – where teacher keeps notes from reading conferences

Reader’s Notebook – where students respond in writing to literature

Reading Log

Date Title/Author Genre Pages

E,JR,Ch

“I almost feel like there should be bells ringing and lights flashing as I describe my assessment notebooks. For without a doubt, they’re my most important teaching tool.”

 --Sharon Taberski (2000)

Assessment Notebook

Write notes about: Student’s comprehension Student’s interests and preferences Strategies student is using Teaching point(s) New books chosenWith the student, write 1-2 goals for the

student to work on next.

Responding to Literature

“What is the use of a book,” thought Alice, “without pictures

and conversations.”

--Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in

Wonderland

Response Notebook

Write a short summary Relate book to life Write about questions or confusions Analyze characters Talk about a strategy used Discuss the theme or message What else?

  ”The more passion you have about something, the more likely it will translate into a passion in the student. Everyone develops a passion because someone shared a passion when that person was young.”

--Katherine Paterson

“Students learn to recognize and discuss literary qualities and genre features and to compare and contrast books and authors. They learn to notice the particulars of the author’s craft, such as beginnings and endings, word choice, plot, and character portrayal.”

New Standards (1999)

“Teaching children to read and providing them with something worthwhile to read is not a job for the faint of heart in this world. But I’ll keep at it, and I won’t be alone. You’ll come too. We’re fortunate, you know. Too many people in this world spend their lives doing work that doesn’t really matter in the great scheme of things, but bringing children and books together does

matter. And we get to do it.” --Katherine Paterson