Week 3-Book Club Plus Post

I feel like the book club model is definitely represented in parts of the literacy instruction in my classroom context, however many parts are omitted. I am not sure if the literacy instruction leaves out a lot of the aspects of the book club model because I have yet to see those parts during instruction, or if this is just the way my collaborating teacher models his instruction. My teacher definitely utilizes literacy block, independent reading and writer’s workshop often. But I have barely seen Teacher Read aloud and shared reading. He does incorporate these types of instruction, however not very often. Even though they are in sixth grade- I still think it is necessary to have teacher read aloud and shared reading- I hope that with time this part of book club model will be represented more in my classroom, and if it is not by my CT, then it is something I can utilize to my benefit and include in my instruction of my guided lead teaching as long as my CT is cooperative and supportive in that idea.

The format for literacy instruction in my classroom revolves around a lot of independent work. Everyday, the students have 30 minutes of individual reading time and time to write about what they have read. At the beginning of each trimester they set a goal of how many ‘Accelerated Reader’ books they will read and pass the tests of by the end of the trimester, and if they achieve specific goals there are prizes available. My CT uses making meaning- and uses the teacher read aloud part of the book club model to read the book aloud, but I have only seen this twice and think it should be incorporated into literacy instruction on a weekly, regular schedule. Another focus of literacy instruction is their word studies. Students receive fifteen vocabulary words in a packet with worksheets and exercises for them to complete by Friday and turn in before their word study tests. Lucy Caukins is the writing instruction curriculum used, so writer’s workshop is used often in my class. I feel like my CT has been using the same resources for a number of years, and almost does not utilize new materials in literacy instruction as much as I think is necessary. Even though, he may not verbalize new materials or use different kinds of literacy he does have a great selection of books in the classroom. The selection has a wide range of different genres- including all different kinds of fiction, novels and picture books, informational texts and multicultural texts.