NOTES FROM THE
LITERACY
COACH
JEN
MUNNERLYN
NOVEMBER
2009
Writer’s Workshop Update...
We now have books to
support our spiral!
Hurray! The books are here.
The Booksource order arrived 2-
weeks ago and the TAs and I have
been busily organizing the books
for classroom use. The grades 3-5
teachers each received a wide
selection of books to support
teaching the Lucy Calkins Units of
Study.
Not only did we order the
basic “Anchor Texts” mentioned to
support each unit, we also ordered
books specifically for grades 3, 4
and 5- which we are calling
“Mentor Texts”. Some of the
bundled sets include: Launching,
Breathing Life into Essays, Good
Teachers College Reading
and Writing Project
Summer Writing Institute 2010
Organized and ready to use!
Endings, Narrative Procedure and text is one of the best, and I’m
Character Traits. hopeful we can order it as a single
Looking through the books, copy through Amazon this year.
and realizing how many we now
have, I think it will take time to
determine which grade level
WW Poll
utilizes which book and for what
What is the hardest transition to
skill. However, once we do that, make when moving to a workshop
we will again be able to approach?
strengthen the spiral formed by the
units of study and be certain we Keeping mini-lessons short! 0
are differentiating our teaching. Conferencing! 2
For now, teachers are asked to Making time to share! 0
try and dig into the texts as much
Knowing when to move on/reteach! 0
as possible and especially to
encourage students to read them
Determining when/how to assess! 4
with “writer’s eyes”.
The only disappointment... TAKE THE POLL @ my
Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe was not blog www.literacybytes.com
one of the books in the order. This
ACS is interested in sending a group of teachers to this PD event this summer. Interested?
PICK UP YOUR INTEREST INVENTORY FROM JEN BY NOV. 1
 Curriculum Grade Whole Staff
NOV Teams Spans (KG2-5)
Meetings and Events...
4
*Teachers As Readers- Staff Meeting

Check out this great

website:
www.whatshouldireadnext.com
Just type in a book you
liked and the site gives you
a list of books like it which
you might also like to read.
It’s like having a personal
librarian there to guide
you!
10 11 NO RR
3-5 Writing Team KG2-3 Collegial
Meeting 12:45-3:45 Conversations: Fitting
it all in!? (As
PD Sessions
11 requested during our
DRA meeting...)
KG2-3 Reading Team 3:30-4:30
Meeting 12:45-3:15
FINALLY THERE IS A CHECK OUT
SHEET FOR THE PROFESSIONAL
18 LITERACY BOOKS. PLEASE SIGN
3-5 ALL- Unit 2 Writing OUT WHAT YOU TAKE.
Celebration! 3:30-4:30

Reading Workshop Update...

We now have books to support our units of study!
The last few weeks have been exciting in my new room as
TAs worked to unpack, stamp, label, and haul our new books
to classrooms. Grades KG2-3 received orders from Booksource
to support their classroom libraries, teach comprehension
strategies in RUOS, and/or books for use with the Fountas and
Pinnell Phonics Program. Together with the WW books
ordered for grades 3-5 we received around 1,600 high-
quality, beautiful, interesting books to help us impact student
learning.
My favorite part of the week had to be listening in on the
TAs as they organized the books. Their interest in and
excitement over the texts we received is exactly the response
we should be hearing from kids. When I hear a teacher at our
school say “I can’t wait to read this book!” I’m certain this The Booksource
order was a success. DATABASE will be
Next steps? I’m busy cataloging the titles into a database available for you to
so teachers looking for a particular text can easily find it. As search very soon... I will
we move to teaching with literature like this, it will be also provide teachers
important to share these books until everyone has what they with a Share Sheet to
need. However, we are certainly moving in the right direction! help you share and keep
track of the where-abouts
of each new book.
 Organizing Their Own
Classroom Library
TA Training
Students in G1

Things are busy, busy,

busy right now, but I
don’t want to forget
about TA Training.
Here are a few things
to consider with your
team...

1. What do all TAs need

support with?
Assistants come and go. Thinking not
REGIE ROUTMAN PD... about the assistant you have now, but
With no new sessions this month, teachers have time to try/apply some the things you always need to have
someone trained to do, what is a
of the ideas from our ERD PD program: Regie Routman, Transforming Your
grade level MUST for your assistants
Teaching Through Reading to Understand. to know in the area of literacy?
In our last session we look a few minutes to brainstorm both how we can
do what we’ve learned and the supplies we need to make it happen. Below is 2. What transferable skills can
a list of what teachers recorded during that session... we work on?
What can we train assistants to do
which will be useful across literacy
areas or even subjects?
HOPES/DREAMS...
Ordering… What do we need to
Ideas… How can we do what Regie 3. How can Jen work with
create rich, literacy environments
describes? teachers to offer training?
in every classroom?
! Teachers need to be readers The experience will be richer for TAs
! Ordering Science/SS books for
! We don’t need to ask kids to if WE are able to share good
kids teaching strategies together...
write about their reading all ! More space to display books
the time (but how are we going to do 4. Realistically, when can we
! Kids always need to have a
that?) offer training?
book around ! Order more age appropriate I’m beginning to think 2nd semester is
! Students need to enjoy books! the time for this, but I’m open for
science/ss/math texts.
! Model, model, model reading! suggestions...
! Bookshelves that are better
! Make reading areas/classroom
designed for book baskets
libraries more inviting ! Baskets and bins that are clear 5. Realistically, how much do
! Classify by genre/author/
and fit books and shelves TAs really need to know?
student interest ! Lamps, cushions, gutters, There still seems to be some
! Continue to share ideas among difference in opinion over how much
display shelves that actually
teams vertically and at grade classroom instruction TAs should be
work
level asked to do. Before I begin any kind
! Texts that students are most
of training, I think we need to have a
! Try the partner reading concept
interested in collective understanding of the duties/
! Buzzing about books- getting ! Revolving bookshelves role of assistants at each grade level.
kids excited to read ! Rain gutters
! Monthly book club share
! More shelving for my library
! Redesign reading log ! More books
! Reading ourselves during
independent reading
! More bins
ORDERING...
! Good, solid, uniform book
! Reorganize class library
baskets At the Nov. Leadership Meeting I will
! Model with teacher reading ! More non-fiction be handing out information about the
! Celebrate reading print next Booksource order. This year
! Book displays or revolving A-
! Share whatever you are grades KG-2 will be ordering books
frame specifically to use with LC Writer’s
reading- your reading life! ! More books in the other
Workshop and grades 3-5 will be
subject areas ordering classroom library books and
! More shelving at the kids books to support our new Reading Units
level of Study.