Using freewriting to assess reading comprehension

Building on recent advances in holistic writing assessment, this article reports on an attempt to use freewriting as a tool to assess reading comprehension. It begins by situating this project within several recent efforts to reform reading comprehension assessment. Next, it discusses freewriting as a form of written retelling, a procedure used historically as an alternative form of reading assessment. Then, it presents a taxonomy that illustrates several patterns constructed from using freewriting with proficient readers (graduate students). Finally, implications of this project for thinking differently about reading theory and reading assessment are provided

Children\u27s Books

Looking For Crabs. (1993) B. Whately; The Mouse and the Apple (1994) Stephen Butler

The Literary Canon: Virtue, Vice, or Both

This article evolved from recent conversations with middle and high school English/Language Arts teachers about the literary canon. The conversations were based on a question posed by one teacher in a professional development workshop: “To teach or not to teach the literary canon? That is my question.” Other teachers quickly stated that they have always struggled with this question and still do today. As a former English/Language Arts teacher, I recognized the importance of this question and afterwards spent time asking myself: Is the literary canon a virtue, vice, or both? This article shares my current best thinking about this question. I begin with background on the conversation and then discuss what teachers did and did not talk about. Next, I share a text set of picture books to help teachers and teacher educators continue talking about the literary canon. I end with final thoughts, one of which is that teacher preferences and pragmatics are important but insufficient when talking about the literary canon. Research on reading and curriculum theory is most important

Is It Just Me, Or Are There Other Parents and Teachers Out There Confused About SOL Reading Assessments?

This article describes an incident involving the author, his daughter, and sample items from a Standards of Learning assessment. The author uses this incident to describe his increasing confusion with SOL assessments, especially in the area of reading, and proposes that educators spend less time testing our kids with SOL assessments, and more time testing their theories so that assessment better reflects recent advances in reading and learning theory

Using Way-In and Stay-In Scientific Picturebooks To Learn About Science and Scientists

The power and potential of literature to learn science has long been recognized by both science and literacy specialists. Literature is often a child\u27s first introduction to science and the first encounter with the concept of science and the role of scientists. The problem is that much science literature focuses mostly on the scientist or the science. This article responds to the imbalanced portrayal between science and scientist in children’s literature. It also discusses the value of scientific picturebook biography to teach science, introduces the notion of Way-In and Stay-In texts, and provides examples of both types of texts along with instructional strategies that can be used to teach disciplinary core ideas in Life Science. Core ideas include: From molecules to organisms: structures and processes; Ecosystems: interactions, energy, and dynamics; Heredity: inheritance and variation of traits: Biological evolution: unity and diversity. It ends with final thoughts

Teachers as Reflective Practitioners: Examining Teacher Stories of Curricular Change in a 4th Grade Classroom

This article describes findings from a classroom-based action research project conducted by two in-school teachers, a literacy coach and a 4\u27h grade teacher, implementing a new integrated literacy and social studies curriculum and the changes they made in curricular practices and beliefs over a three-year period of time. A university professor also served as an out-of-school researcher assisting with analyzing data, describing findings, and discussing implications. The project was based on the model of teacher as researcher asking two focused inquiry questions: 1) what can be learned about teaching by taking a reflective practitioner perspective as a way to think about our own teaching? and 2) what can be learned about curriculum and curriculum development from collaboratively implementing an integrated literacy and social studies curriculum in a 47 grade classroom? Research methods were grounded in principles of naturalistic inquiry and data collection and data analysis were driven by the methodology of grounded theory. Three stories of curricular change were constructed from the data. These stories illustrate how study reflected on and changed their practices about curriculum and curriculum development over time. Findings and implications indicate thinking more broadly and more deeply about curriculum and curriculum development

Children\u27s Books

Mullins, Patrica. 1993. Dinosaur Encore

Children\u27s Books

Mullins, Patrica. 1993. Dinosaur Encore