Through reading the first couple of chapters of this book I was very impressed with Renny's reasonings. While the students were listening to Tico Reeny explained the he really did not think that he was better then his friends they all just thought that he did. He sacrificed the wings so that he could have his friends back and helped the poor people so that they could have something as well. Her reasoning was entirely different than everyone elses. Her reasoning was also different than what my reaction would have been to the story. It is amazing what people are able to see through the eyes of the innocent. In Reeny's eyes everyone has some good in them. Reeny also makes t-t connections when discussing the idea that Tico and Fredick have different friends.
Through Fredrick the mouse Reeney is able to make text to self connections. "That brown mouse seems just like me.... Because I am always thinking 'bout colors and words the same like him." Most of the children argue that Fredrick is not mice because he is not helping the other mice; Reeny comes to his defense and says he is not as nice but he is not a mean mouse. Through these stories Reeny is able to put herself in the shoes of the charaters that Lio Lionni has created. This is very unusual for a young child to do.
Through the beginning of this book I found myself trying to understand Reeny and trying to understand how she came about her reasonings. When she cried in the story I actually felt for her. All she wanted was to be able to undertand why the author made Tico's friends the way he did and may never be able to understand why this is so.
While I continue to read I hope to learn more insights into the life of Reeny.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
What are literature focus units?
Literature focus units are designed to help students move through the five stages of the reading process. Students are able to do this as they read and respond to stories, learn reading and writing strategies and skills, and engage in labguage arts activities. There are eight steps in developing a literature focus unit.
The first step to be aware of is selecting the featured book. Once this book has been selected teacher's gather related readings. These can be books by the same author, books with the same topic or other realted readings. The second step is to identify the instructional focus. In this step teachers will identify the the instuctional focus for the unit and then matching the book's strengths with language arts standards.
The third step for teachers is to specify language arts stategies and skills to teach. Teachers will also decide which activities they should include in their unit. The fourth step is to plan reading process activities. The fith step is to coordinate patterns with activities. Teachers must decide how to incorporate everything from whole-class activities to individual activities in their lesson.
Step six in this process is to locate technology resources. This can be very benificial to help students to move through this focus unit. The last two steps in this process are to plan for assessment and to create a time schedual. While planning for assessment teacher's plan two types. They are assessment of student's learning and monitoring of student's work.
When all of these steps are followed and implimented the teacher will have created a successful
literature focus unit that their students will enjoy.
Literature focus units are designed to help students move through the five stages of the reading process. Students are able to do this as they read and respond to stories, learn reading and writing strategies and skills, and engage in labguage arts activities. There are eight steps in developing a literature focus unit.
The first step to be aware of is selecting the featured book. Once this book has been selected teacher's gather related readings. These can be books by the same author, books with the same topic or other realted readings. The second step is to identify the instructional focus. In this step teachers will identify the the instuctional focus for the unit and then matching the book's strengths with language arts standards.
The third step for teachers is to specify language arts stategies and skills to teach. Teachers will also decide which activities they should include in their unit. The fourth step is to plan reading process activities. The fith step is to coordinate patterns with activities. Teachers must decide how to incorporate everything from whole-class activities to individual activities in their lesson.
Step six in this process is to locate technology resources. This can be very benificial to help students to move through this focus unit. The last two steps in this process are to plan for assessment and to create a time schedual. While planning for assessment teacher's plan two types. They are assessment of student's learning and monitoring of student's work.
When all of these steps are followed and implimented the teacher will have created a successful
literature focus unit that their students will enjoy.
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