1. Readers Read With Power

Fifth graders are welcomed into their reading workshop with an invitation to show off their knowledge, talent and energy for reading. These readers are reading P/Q reading levels or higher and will have to think about the kind of reader they are and want to be as they establish themselves inside their new reading community.

Concept 1 will ask Fifth graders to think of the habits they bring to reading and the habits they want to create to strengthen their reading and make their reading community and their own personal reading growth the best it can be. Creating long term and short term personal reading goals, choosing just right text, and assisting the reading community meet and exceed classroom stamina goals will show readers the habits necessary for success. This concept also demonstrates for readers the need to read at a pace which allows for the greatest number of pages to be read, while still seeing the text in mind and understanding all that has been read.

Concept 2 asks readers to understand that every bit of text they read is important to their understanding. Readers will enhance their strategies to clear confusion by stopping, rereading, and taking the time to figure out unfamiliar words while still envisioning the text and keeping their appropriate pace. Readers will think about their attitudes towards reading and the teaching hopes to influence a growth mindset where readers come to the work seeing its importance and the need to read many books across their days and weeks.

Concept 3 organizes readers into like-level partnerships. Readers reading the same or about the same levels, will be paired for thinking and conversation. Part of this thinking uses readers’ previous work with retelling to lift comprehension and conversation by teaching readers to summarize with the author’s message in mind. Readers learn to care for their partner by coming prepared to partnerships, listening well, and keeping an open mind. They will come to see that a reading partner is an important person in life, as partners help each other gain reading stamina and focus. Partners will not read aloud to each other except to prove a point or take their partner back to a page to clear confusion. Choral, echo and reading page by page together aloud are abandoned to allow readers more time for thinking and talking. At these levels, it is more important that readers learn to read silently to themselves during independent reading and read aloud only when needed in partnership, given their conversation or plans. Partners will push each other to think about strong habits needed to be strong readers. Looking at reading logs, sharing books read and noticing changes in each other over time will help partnerships bond; building a strong working relationship that will move into the next unit of study.

The unit, like all units, ends with a celebration in session 16. Empowering readers to reflect on ways they have changed as readers in short time is suggested. There certainly could be other ways to celebrate based on the culture built within the reading community and teachers should feel free to celebrate in different ways based on their insights of readers.

Differentiating by reviewing the K-3 units, may be helpful dependent on levels of readers.

While the information contained here is not related to Unit Level Standards, important information related to UDL is included for your reference.

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)?

UDL is a research-based framework that focuses on proactive design and delivery of curriculum, instruction and assessment. UDL provides opportunities for every student to learn and show what they know, with high expectations for all learners.

Each student learns in a unique manner so a one-size-fits-all approach is not effective. UDL principles create options for how instruction is presented, how students express their ideas, and how teachers can engage students in their learning. (NY DOE)

© CAST, 2013

UDL
Universal Design for Learning

1. How do readers have strong habits inside a reading life?
2. How do readers know text is important?
3. How do readers read with and learn from other readers?

Concept I: Readers use strategies to read with power

Session 1 Readers take charge of their reading by making decisions for themselves to read with more power

Session 2 Readers make inferences by paying attention to details in text

Session 3 Readers monitor their reading by maintain and analyzing reading logs

Session 4 Readers determine a goal for words/pages read

Session 5 Readers make wise book choices

Session 6 Readers pick up the pace of their reading to read as much as they can

Concept II Readers use strategies to read with powerful comprehension

Session 7 Readers read between the lines to imagine what text details imply

Session 8 Readers imagine the scenes in text

Session 9 Readers imagine what happens between the scenes of the story

Session 10 Readers pay attention to and figure out details from earlier parts of the text

Session 11 Readers use a repertoire of strategies to problem-solve confusing texts

Session 12 Readers recount a text by noticing the main points or ideas to summarize

Concept III Readers respond to reading through powerful writing and conversation

Session 13 Readers write about their thinking to grow conversation with others

Session 14 Readers make comparisons to other texts to grow conversations

Session 15 Readers read aloud with expression to strengthen conversation

Session 16 Readers reflect on their reading and make new goals for themselves

Session 17 Readers celebrate growing accomplishments and share them with others