The Go! Chart

Bugbee Elementary
It was the second day of Tuesday Experience at Bugbee Elementary. This week I was involved with conducting one of the reading groups in the first grade classroom. Mrs. DiPietro, the teacher, had me take a much lower reading group and told me to "take control of the group" and "use 'my' knowledge from school" to work with the students. A few nerves ran through me, but I seemed pretty confident that I could handle this. Mrs. DiPietro gave me a few great ideas on what to do before I started. She said to have the students look at the cover of the book to make "predictions." Then she said for me to go over "chucking" of the words. As she was telling me this, I had remembered an activity we had done in Regina's Developmental Reading Class that would go great with this group and what Mrs. DiPietro wanted me to do. It was....THE GO CHART. I couldn't remember exactly what to do with the Go Chart but had some idea. The group did great with the book and we ended up writing a poem based on one of the animals in the story.
I had seen Regina the next day (yesterday) and she directed me as to where I can get the information on the "Go Chart." I went into blackboard and found it! To make it easier for you ladies, I posted on my blog. This is something you should definitely think about doing if anyone is conducting a reading group or a read aloud!

What is a Go! Chart?

The GO! Chart is the graphic organizer that helps teachers to bridge the concrete, contextualized understanding and retelling of story to a more decontextualized, analytical understanding. It is a springboard for helping children to think conceptually and has proved to be a powerful comprehension tool. Teachers have found that the GO! Chart can be adapted across the curriculum to fit many purposes and student needs, (p.95).

Sequence of Instruction

Analyzing the story

1. Introduce the title of the story. Ask students for predictions of what they think the story might be about. Record responses on GO! Chart and write students’ initials next to their responses (do this for all responses in the lesson).

2. Show the cover of the book and ask students to revise their predictions.

3. Ask what words they think might be in the story.

4. Present 4 to 5 words from the story that students might be unfamiliar with.

5. Read the story

6. Confirm or disconfirm predictions. Put check marks next to predictions that are confirmed.

7. Understandings: Ask the students what they noticed as they listened to or read the story. Record responses.

8. Interpretations: Ask the students what they wondered as they listened to or read the story. Record responses.

9. Connections: Ask the students if the story reminded them of anything. Why? Record responses.

Organizing the story

10. Complete the Shape GO! Map

* Reread the story and review the GO! Chart at the beginning of each session if it is being completed over a few days.

Possible Reponses to the Story

· oral retelling with or without props

· whip around retelling

· written retelling

o first, next, and last

o flipbook writing about the beginning, middle, and end

o using the Shape GO! Map

(All the information came from Blackboard and was written by Susan C. Guernsey)

Reading and Writing Workshop

A Reading and Writing Workshop is another great way to get children involved with reading and writing. In the workshop, the students are able to choose books, read and respond to them independently. The students will also be able to write books on "self-selected" topics during winter workshop. This is a great way for teachers to monitor the students through conferences and also a great way for students to open up and share the books they have read along with their own created books they made with their classmates.
There are many strengths to this workshop. The students read books appropriate for their reading levels, the teachers teach mini lessons on reading strategies and skills, the activities are student directed and they are able to work at their own pace. There are also limitations to this workshop. During the workshop, the teachers often may feel a loss of control, because just like Literature Circles, the students are reading different books and working at different stages.

Literature Circles

As we as future teachers know, reading and writing is so very important in the classroom. Engaging students in reading and writing can be somewhat of a challenge but it can also work extremely well.
In Chapter 2, Tompkins talks about the Four Patterns of Practice. One of the Patterns of Practice include Literature Circles. The way Literature circles work is very simple yet exciting. Teachers chose about 5 or 6 books and get multiple copies of each one. From here, students are able to choose the books and perform groups or "book clubs". The students then will be able to read and respond to the book. They are able to develop reading and discussion schedules. The teachers are also able to participate in the groups and get active in the discussions.
There are many strengths in Literature Circles. The books are available at a varitey of reading levels, students are strongly motivated because they are able to choose the books they want to read versus what the have to read and the activities are student directed.
Along with stregnths there are limitations. The teachers may feel at a loss of control and the students may choose books that are to difficult or to easy.