Have you....?

Have you SEEN?

Check out the new webcast entitled Making Sense of Reading Instruction: Grades 4 to 6, produced by the Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat, Ontario Ministry of Education.

By responding, reflecting, and raising questions about effective practice, the video can assist junior teachers as they work towards enriching literacy practice.
The video, organized into four segments, can be seen at www.curriculum.org

Featured guests include:
- David Booth (OISE/UT) - Selecting Quality Resources for Junior Teachers
- Kathleen Gould Lundy (York University) - Engaging the Reader
- Bev Strachan (OISE/UT) - Structuring the Literacy Environment
- Larry Swartz (OISE/ UT) - When Students and Teachers Ask Questions

Have you READ?

Reading Doesn't Matter Anymore: Shattering Myths of Literacy by David Booth (2006). Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers

In this resource David Booth argues that teachers must redefine reading as an activity that embraces the needs and interests of students in the 21st Century. In twelve chapters, Booth outlines twelve steps to help teachers and parents revolutionize the way they view - and encourage - children's reading in all kinds of genres and formats.

Have you USED?

Graphic organizers help young people to sort and classify information as they engage in the inquiry process before, during, and after reading. Find out more about these organizers by clicking here.

Q Tasks by Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwann (2006) (Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers) is an excellent resource to help teachers consider asking better questions. A wide range of graphic organizers are offered in this text to empower students to ask questions and care about answers in order to deepen comprehension, inquiry research skills.

Have you HEARD?

The 2007 NEWBERY Awards for best novels were announced by the Association for Library Services for Children. The Newbery Medal went to The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illustrated by Matt Phelan, the story of a young girl who struggles to overcome the death of her mother. Newbery Honour Books were Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm, Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson and Rules by Cynthia Lord.

The Ontario Library Association's annual reading program, The Forest of Reading is in full swing. Students read a variety of pre-selected books by Canadian authors, then vote on their favourite one. The winning author receives an award from the OLA. To find out more click here: Forest of Reading

Have you REGISTERED?

The 52nd Annual Convention of the International Reading Association
will take place in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from
May 13 - 17, 2007.
International Reading Association Convention

 

Junior Support Materials from
Ontario’s Education Foundations Program

If you haven’t seen them yet, have a look at www.eworkshop.on.ca for the newest junior level support resources from Ontario’s Education Foundations Program.

The interactive Numeracy and Literacy Modules on eWorkshop are of high quality, and help teachers dig deeper into effective instruction. Divided into four sections, each module features Ontario teachers and students talking about and demonstrating practice. The Overview introduces the learning presented in the modules. Tell Me outlines the key components of the topic. Show Me provides video and interactive learning about the topic to illustrate how to do it. Finally, Let Me Try provides the opportunity to walk through a simulation of the learning in the module.

The topics include:

On the same site are the new Effective Guides for both Literacy and Numeracy. These rich print resources outline theory and practical suggestions for effective instruction in multiple volumes based on the Expert Panel Reports. Hard copies are hard to find. Only two were distributed to every school.

The topics for each volume include:

Other volumes are forthcoming for Literacy.

Further Support

These resources provide excellent frameworks, background, and practical ideas for junior teachers. Keeping these and the newly revised Language Curriculum in mind, major publishers are now releasing some excellent new core and supplementary resources to help teachers put these ides into practice…and what level are they starting with? JUNIOR!

…and...funds were provided by the Ministry for purchasing new resources! Wow!

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