RPI Session 3: Text Selection
Digital text enables us so many opportunities we miss out on in print texts. The collaboration and deep-dive opportunities are incredible. Good reminder that there is a place for apps in the right time and right place - children need to be digitally fluent so they can tap into these resources.
I had never heard of the concept 'mirrors, windows and glass doors.' Mirror texts, window texts and sliding glass doors - this is the reason the diversity needs to go both ways. All children need these - not just children who have been underrepresented instead of always seeing mirror texts. Good reminder about our own personal bias while we are selecting texts - need to provide choice so we don’t bring our assumptions.
Reminder to tap back into emotive side and finding the appropriate buy in particularly with our reluctant readers. Aiming for integration across the curriculum - it is funny this has been brought up. In our Numeracy we have just started looking at algebra and patterns, this week as our big book during shared reading we are looking at a patterns book.
Levelled groups and mixed ability groups. Levelled - get better at reading. Mixed - talk about the text, make inferences about the author's purpose. Think about why texts are at what level - is it accessible or not? Is the context relevant to all learners? What is the learning intention? How can I remind myself this when creating ambitious outcomes - in mixed ability grouping - can I change the learning intention and text type in a way that is still accessible to all learners? How can we cater to interests but help expand interests at the same time?
Vocabulary - scan TSM online to find tier 2 words - point these out and explicitly teach these. How can we use that word in a different sentence to the way we have used it in the text?
Choosing a text set: To link to our inquiry - Tūakiri (Identity)
A rock and a hard place - School Journal Part 3, N 2 - 2011. Y5 - a boy must choose which rugby team to support in the world cup.
Becoming a Kiwi - School Journal Part 1, N 2 - 2006. Y4 - Recount written from Joshua’s perspective, he has just moved to Aotearoa from Korea.
Flying the flag - School Journal Part 1, N 1 - 2006 . Y4 - Report around the New Zealand flag and the debates surrounding it.
Suipi - School Journal, Level 3 - October 2013. Y5 - A Grandmother has moved to NZ because she is unwell, but misses playing cards in Samoa with her sisters. Her grand-daughter learns her favourite card game to cheer her up.
Next steps:
1. Use the text set that I put together next term.
2. Find and set a time to read a class novel starting from Term 2.
Kia ora Jasmine. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on your latest RPI day. I love the idea of windows, mirrors and sliding doors too. Matt would be a good person to speak to about this as it was something we came across on our study tour a few years ago. Integrating across the curriculum is great. Yesterday we did a Cybersmart lesson on editing photos based on patterns in a new entrant class. It looks like you've got a great text set ready to go. I originally hated reading a novel to my class but it ended up being one of my favourite parts of the day. The 13 Storey Treehouse books are magic! All the best for the rest of the RPI.
ReplyDeleteKia ora Jasmine
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to read your enthusiasm and interest in keeping a copy of the shared task boards compiled from the homework. Like you, I consider it a real privilege (and affordance of our Manaiakalani network) to have visibility of other teachers’ designs for learning! Having the same design task also amplifies the variability in creativity, year/reading level, learning objectives and text choices. Thank you for contributing your task board too.
Rudine Sims Bishop’s concept of “windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors’ is fascinating and as you point out, so apt for making us reflect on engaging with, and planning for diversity - both ways. I particularly like the “glass sliding doors” analogy because it’s a reminder to provide authentic opportunities for young people to “step into” other worlds: “readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author” (Sims Bishop, 1990). You may wish to explore further discussion of those ideas here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uIO1sqq0vkbsRg27rTBd61_CA7ShHRIe/view?usp=share_link
It’s also great that you picked up on the importance of identifying those Tier 2 (and Tier 3) words as another factor in text selection and instructional attention. That’s why we also focus on providing opportunities to ‘talk about texts’ to facilitate the ‘moving of those words’ into learners’ oral language, and for productive use on their writing and wider creating. Watch this space - more on vocabulary in Day 6 and 7!
Thank you again for sharing your insights and professional reflections. Have a fabulous well-earned time out from the classroom over Easter and during the term break. Do feel free to connect with us during this time if you have any questions or further discussion points.
Nga mihi
Naomi R.
Literacy Facilitator - Manaiakalani Reading Practice Intensive