WEBVTT

00:00:00.516 --> 00:00:04.546
[Music]

00:00:05.046 --> 00:00:07.346
Serena Brittingham: My
name is Serena Brittingham,

00:00:07.376 --> 00:00:09.826
and I am the reading
coach for kindergarten

00:00:09.826 --> 00:00:12.176
and first grade here at
Woodbridge Elementary School.

00:00:12.576 --> 00:00:16.486
Our core program that we use
could be beefed up a little bit,

00:00:16.486 --> 00:00:20.156
and we could use some
different types of texts.

00:00:20.276 --> 00:00:24.786
We've found that our core didn't
have a lot of nonfiction texts.

00:00:24.786 --> 00:00:27.566
And so we were able to
purchase some books,

00:00:27.816 --> 00:00:31.726
and we began incorporating those
books into our instruction.

00:00:32.036 --> 00:00:34.066
Teachers need to keep
in mind certain things,

00:00:34.226 --> 00:00:36.386
especially with text selection.

00:00:36.386 --> 00:00:37.576
I think it's important for them

00:00:37.576 --> 00:00:39.136
to remember what
their purpose is.

00:00:39.376 --> 00:00:42.726
Sometimes we are using books
during the whole-group time,

00:00:42.996 --> 00:00:45.926
which our focus is definitely
comprehension and vocabulary.

00:00:46.226 --> 00:00:49.006
But during small group, that's
more when we are working

00:00:49.006 --> 00:00:52.796
on skills and having
the students actually do

00:00:52.796 --> 00:00:53.676
some reading.

00:00:53.676 --> 00:00:55.836
And so the level of the text

00:00:55.966 --> 00:00:58.036
in small group would
be more important.

00:00:58.036 --> 00:00:59.476
It doesn't have to
be at their level

00:00:59.476 --> 00:01:00.776
when we are doing whole group.

00:01:00.776 --> 00:01:02.016
Actually, we want the book to be

00:01:02.176 --> 00:01:04.956
at a higher level-that it's
too hard for them to read,

00:01:05.306 --> 00:01:07.126
but they can certainly
understand

00:01:07.416 --> 00:01:09.756
with our guidance
what the message

00:01:09.756 --> 00:01:11.936
or what the idea
of the story is.

00:01:12.386 --> 00:01:13.616
Other things for teachers

00:01:13.616 --> 00:01:16.976
to remember is the
complexity of the text.

00:01:17.076 --> 00:01:19.756
For kindergarten, we know we
try to choose things-especially

00:01:19.756 --> 00:01:20.326
at the beginning

00:01:20.326 --> 00:01:23.726
of the year-where they have
really a lot of pictures and not

00:01:23.726 --> 00:01:28.436
so much text, where the
ideas and the concepts

00:01:28.436 --> 00:01:32.646
and messages are simple
enough for them to understand.

00:01:32.896 --> 00:01:35.406
And as we move ahead
to first grade,

00:01:35.406 --> 00:01:37.726
we can kind of bump
it up a little bit.

00:01:37.796 --> 00:01:40.736
We always try to choose
books that are going

00:01:40.736 --> 00:01:45.676
to allow the teacher to, in
their lesson, develop some kind

00:01:45.676 --> 00:01:48.686
of "turn and talk to your
partner" and those kinds

00:01:48.686 --> 00:01:50.586
of things, and that's
helped a lot.

00:01:50.886 --> 00:01:54.846
We have done that here at
our school to have a lot

00:01:54.846 --> 00:01:56.826
of student-to-student
interaction,

00:01:57.176 --> 00:01:59.436
and it can begin
in kindergarten.

00:02:04.516 --> 00:02:06.486
Brittingham: How did the lesson
go today on "Apple Trouble"?

00:02:06.706 --> 00:02:07.476
Kim Hastings: It was great.

00:02:07.476 --> 00:02:11.816
It was a perfect story, great
vocabulary for the kids,

00:02:12.136 --> 00:02:14.886
lots of chances for them
to make good connections.

00:02:14.886 --> 00:02:18.716
Definitely a story that I think
we could pick out some stories

00:02:18.716 --> 00:02:20.996
that were similar like
that to put in those places

00:02:20.996 --> 00:02:23.606
and those holes that the
kindergarten curriculum has

00:02:23.606 --> 00:02:25.876
where we're looking for
some better stories.

00:02:25.926 --> 00:02:27.216
Brittingham: Well, guess what?

00:02:27.636 --> 00:02:28.586
Our books came in.

00:02:28.586 --> 00:02:29.176
Hastings: Great.

00:02:29.176 --> 00:02:31.666
Brittingham: And so I was
able to look through some

00:02:31.666 --> 00:02:33.846
of the boxes, and I
picked out some things

00:02:33.846 --> 00:02:34.756
that I thought might work.

00:02:34.756 --> 00:02:35.206
Hastings: Okay.

00:02:35.316 --> 00:02:39.766
Brittingham: I know you said,
and the other team members said,

00:02:39.766 --> 00:02:41.026
that some of the stories

00:02:41.026 --> 00:02:43.486
at the beginning were maybe
too hard for the kids.

00:02:44.326 --> 00:02:49.786
And so I saw this one, and I
didn't know if you might think

00:02:49.786 --> 00:02:50.766
that was a good one.

00:02:50.766 --> 00:02:51.216
Hastings: Okay.

00:02:51.276 --> 00:02:54.496
Brittingham: It's kind of
about the character going

00:02:54.496 --> 00:02:55.566
to the first day of school.

00:02:55.566 --> 00:02:56.276
Hastings: Right.

00:02:56.606 --> 00:02:58.926
I think what we're definitely
looking for, for the beginning

00:02:58.926 --> 00:03:01.816
of the year, is just
really good pictures,

00:03:01.816 --> 00:03:03.486
not a lot of text on the page.

00:03:03.486 --> 00:03:05.436
Brittingham: Well, I think
this has great pictures.

00:03:05.436 --> 00:03:07.376
Hastings: Yeah, and also
some chances for them

00:03:07.376 --> 00:03:09.866
to interact together,
and with me.

00:03:09.866 --> 00:03:14.106
Brittingham: This one, I
didn't know about that,

00:03:14.596 --> 00:03:16.006
what you would think
of that one.

00:03:16.266 --> 00:03:18.006
Hastings: Well, the first thing

00:03:18.386 --> 00:03:19.846
that I think will
be great is that,

00:03:19.846 --> 00:03:23.176
it's going to be a great time
for us to say, "Boys and girls,

00:03:23.176 --> 00:03:24.666
this is a nonfiction story."

00:03:24.666 --> 00:03:25.546
Brittingham: Oh, absolutely.

00:03:25.646 --> 00:03:27.026
Hastings: Real photographs
of-

00:03:27.026 --> 00:03:28.176
Brittingham: I didn't even think 
about that.

00:03:28.176 --> 00:03:29.896
Hastings: -of real kids
and lots of talking

00:03:29.896 --> 00:03:32.956
about how we're alike,
how we're different,

00:03:32.956 --> 00:03:34.716
that we learn differently,
that we look different.

00:03:34.746 --> 00:03:39.746
Brittingham: I brought these:
Nonfiction, "Animal Babies."

00:03:40.096 --> 00:03:42.416
And I think we could probably
get some more of these

00:03:42.496 --> 00:03:46.186
because this is about
grasslands and polar lands,

00:03:46.806 --> 00:03:49.106
which I think is an appropriate
book for kindergarten,

00:03:50.606 --> 00:03:54.646
has good vocabulary,
and it's kind of--

00:03:56.006 --> 00:03:57.636
would lead them to
some prediction.

00:03:57.636 --> 00:04:00.896
Hastings: I was just thinking
maybe, in the beginning,

00:04:00.896 --> 00:04:03.806
early on, we're just kind of
finding good ways to partner

00:04:03.976 --> 00:04:04.926
up and have discussion.

00:04:04.926 --> 00:04:08.856
So I'm imagining this could be
one that we do in the beginning

00:04:08.856 --> 00:04:11.236
and say, give them the
clue, "I have big ears

00:04:11.236 --> 00:04:12.546
and a long nose called
a 'trunk.'

00:04:13.016 --> 00:04:13.886
Who is my mommy?"

00:04:14.066 --> 00:04:15.456
And then they could whisper

00:04:15.456 --> 00:04:16.896
to their partner,
"Who do you think?"

00:04:17.116 --> 00:04:18.995
Brittingham: So what do
you think we'll pick?

00:04:19.055 --> 00:04:24.266
Hastings: Well, I think we
have some great, great choices.

00:04:24.476 --> 00:04:28.136
I definitely think I would
probably choose this one

00:04:28.136 --> 00:04:29.206
for one of the early days.

00:04:29.356 --> 00:04:29.956
Brittingham: Okay.

00:04:29.956 --> 00:04:31.936
Hastings: Even if the message
is a little tough, just --

00:04:31.936 --> 00:04:34.406
I'm thinking about
self-portraits,

00:04:34.436 --> 00:04:35.956
things like that,
that they could do

00:04:36.026 --> 00:04:37.576
that would go along
with the story.

00:04:37.576 --> 00:04:40.976
And just the real photographs;
that's enticing to them.

00:04:42.516 --> 00:04:46.500
[Music]